China: Former anti-graft body official gets life term

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING (AA) - A former deputy secretary-general of China’s top anti-graft body has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of receiving bribes worth around $18.44 million, according to state media.

Xinhua news agency cited a statement from Zhenjiang city’s Intermediate People's Court as saying Friday that Jin Daoming was stripped of his political rights for life and all his personal assets were confiscated.

Jin, a former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of northern Shanxi’s Provincial People's Congress, had been accused of taking advantage of his positions from 2007-2014 to “seek profits for others related to coal mine mergers, official promotions and discipline inspections”.

The court ruled that his “ill-gotten gains” -- valued at almost 124 million yuan -- be turned over to the state.

Jin was placed under investigation in February 2014 amid a corruption probe launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, before his transfer to Shanxi, Jin served for more than 16 years in the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Committee (CCDI), where he acquired the high-ranking post of deputy secretary-general.

In August, the anti-graft watchdog announced that 163,000 officials -- including 41 at provincial and ministerial levels -- were penalized this year for violating party's political discipline.

According to the CCDI, 336,000 people were punished last year, with the cases of 14,000 submitted to the judiciary for suspected criminal activity.