China sentences former official to death in $325 million bribery case

A Chinese court on Monday sentenced former Nanjing economic development official Yang Youlin to death after finding him guilty of accepting bribes worth more than 2.21 billion yuan, or about $325 million, over a period of three decades.Besides bribery, Yang was convicted of embezzlement, offering bribes, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and money laundering, making it one of China’s biggest corruption cases in recent years in terms of the amount involved.The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province said Yang accepted the illicit payments between 1993 and 2023 in return for helping individuals and companies secure projects, business opportunities, land allocations and financial support.According to the court, the bribes were paid in exchange for assistance with “undertaking projects, business operations, land grants and working capital.”The court also said Yang “illegally accepted property and assets” worth more than 2.21 billion yuan ($325 million) during the period under investigation.Yang came under scrutiny as part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which critics have argued has also been used to sideline Xi’s political opponents.During the proceedings, Yang admitted wrongdoing and expressed regret for his actions.The court said Yang delivered a final statement in which he “expressed his guilt and remorse.”Public hearings in the case were held over two days in March and April and were attended by more than 30 people, according to the court.The judgment also ordered the confiscation of Yang’s personal assets, while authorities were directed to recover the full amount obtained through the bribes.Yang is among several senior Chinese officials who have received the death penalty in corruption cases in recent years.In 2021, Lai Xiaomin, the former Communist Party secretary of a state-owned financial company, was sentenced to death and executed after being convicted of accepting bribes, embezzlement and bigamy.More recently, in 2024, former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed after being found guilty of embezzlement and bribery.