The ruling also ordered the confiscation of Yang’s personal assets. (representational image)
A Chinese court on Monday sentenced Yang Yulin, a former economic development official in Nanjing, to death after convicting him of accepting bribes worth more than 2.21 billion yuan, or about $325 million, over 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 the biggest corruption cases in China 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 exchange for helping individuals and companies secure projects and business opportunities, land allocation and financial support.According to the court, the bribes were paid in exchange for assistance in “implementing projects, business operations, granting land 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 has come under scrutiny as part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which critics say has also been used to marginalize political opponents of Xi.
During the proceedings, Yang admitted wrongdoing and expressed remorse for his actions.The court said Yang made 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 ruling also ordered the confiscation of Yang’s personal assets, while authorities were directed to recover the full amount obtained through bribes.Yang is among several senior Chinese officials sentenced to death in corruption cases in recent years.In 2021, Lai Xiaomin, a former Communist Party secretary at a state-owned financial company, was sentenced to death and executed after being found guilty of accepting bribes, embezzlement, and bigamy.More recently, in 2024, former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed after being convicted of embezzlement and bribery.