Ex-political adviser sentenced to 14 years
Sun Huaishan, a former senior political adviser, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for taking bribes of nearly 40 million yuan ($5.82 million). The sentence was handed down by the intermediate people’s court in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Monday, according to People’s Daily.
Sun was a member of the Standing Committee of the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee and head of the Committee for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Compatriots and Overseas Chinese of the CPPCC National Committee.
Prosecutors accused Sun, 66, of taking advantage of his positions to seek profits for a number of enterprises and individuals. All of his ill-gotten money was to be confiscated, the court said.
The court found that Sun helped secure land development permissions, approvals for business operations, project approvals and personnel promotions while serving as director of the General Office of the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee, deputy secretary-general and Standing Committee member of the CPPCC National Committee, as well as a member of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee from 1994 to 2016.
Between 2000 and 2016, Sun accepted cash, gold bars and artwork that had a total value of nearly 40 million yuan. All of these have been recovered by law enforcement authorities, the report said, citing the court ruling.
The court said 14 years in prison was a reduced sentence because Sun had been cooperative during the investigation and gave prosecutors information they had not known. He was also quick to turn over his ill-gotten gains to law enforcement authorities.