Ex-official gets 12 years for graft; 2 others arrested
Lu Enguang, a former senior official of the Ministry of Justice, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court in Henan province on Tuesday after being convicted of offering bribes amounting to more than 20 million yuan ($2.87 million).
According to the Anyang Intermediate People’s Court, Lu, who was formerly head of the ministry’s political division, was convicted of offering bribes and using his companies to offer bribes. He was also fined 3 million yuan. His illicit assets will be confiscated by the court.
According to the court, from 1992 to 2016 Lu paid government staff a total 12.78 million yuan in bribes for different purposes, including joining the Communist Party of China, seeking to be a teacher and aiding promotions.
He was also found guilty of paying bribes to government staff members worth 7.97 million yuan from 1996 to 2016 to benefit companies under his influence in obtaining loans, acquiring underpriced assets, lowering tax payments and evading debts.
The court said the bribes were offered either by Lu himself or by company staff members under Lu’s direction.
Lu confessed to his crimes, showed remorse and actively cooperated with judicial officials to expose other criminal evidence, and as a result his punishment was lenient, the court said.
Also on Tuesday, two former provincial-level officials were being held on suspicion of bribery and corruption, according to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
Ai Wenli, 63, former vicechairman of the Hebei Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, has been arrested on a charge of accepting bribes. Bai Xiangqun, former vicechairman of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery and embezzlement.
The National Supervisory Commission has completed its investigation of the two cases and handed the findings to the procuratorial organ for review and prosecution, the SPP said.
In July, Ai surrendered himself to anti-graft officials, becoming the first vice-ministerial-level official to turn himself in since late 2012, when the new leadership of China was elected and battling corruption became a top priority across the country.
From 2006 to July 2018, Ai mainly served as mayor and Party chief of Chengde, Hebei province; mayor and deputy secretary in Shijiazhuang, Hebei; head of the publicity department of Hebei province; and vice-chairman of the Hebei Committee of the CPPCC.
According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, he violated Party discipline, refused to report personal affairs to the Party organization and accepted cash and gifts from others.
He was also accused of making use of his position to benefit others and of taking huge bribes in return, either paid in cash or property.
On Oct 19, Ai was expelled from the Party for violating Party discipline and laws. The anti-graft officials confiscated his illicit assets and sent the evidence to the SPP, with proposed lenient punishment.
Bai, 55, was placed under investigation in April by the CCDI and National Supervisory Commission for serious violations of Party discipline and law.
According to the CCDI, he violated political discipline and resisted the investigation by anti-graft officials. He also engaged in superstitious activities.