Former senior political advisor sentenced for bribery

Jiang Jie, a former senior political adviser in Xizang autonomous region, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes of more than 225 million yuan ($31.8 million), a court in Tianjin announced on Saturday.

Jiang was also deprived of his political rights for life and all of his personal assets were confiscated, according to the ruling made by the Tianjin No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

In addition, Jiang's illicit gains and relevant interests will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury, the ruling said.

From 2000 to 2023, Jiang, the former vice-chairman of the regional committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was found to have taken advantage of his various positions in Shandong province and Xizang to seek profits for some individuals and departments in matters such as administrative approvals, project contracts, land transfers and work promotions, and accepted over 225 million yuan of bribes in return, the ruling showed.

The court said that Jiang's behaviors have committed the crime of bribery, and the amount of his bribes was extremely large, bringing great losses to interests of the country and the people.

"Considering he confessed to the offense, voluntarily shared some of the bribery facts unknown to investigators, provided clues of a few other major cases and returned his illicit gains, we've leniently punished him, giving him a suspended death sentence," the court added.

Public information shows that Jiang, 59, joined the Communist Party of China and started his career as a journalist in Shandong, his home province, in 1985.

He served as various positions in Shandong, including head of Huangdao district in Qingdao and mayor of Dongying.

He moved to Xizang in 2013 and became a vice-chairman of the regional committee of the CPPCC in 2022.

He was placed under investigation in July 2023 for suspected severe violations of the Party disciplines and the national laws.

In January, he was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office. Five months later, he was indicted on the charge of bribery by the Tianjin prosectors.

The Tianjin court publicly heard Jiang's case in July.