Former Shanxi legislator jailed for corruption

A former senior legislator in north China's Shanxi province was sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes amounting to nearly 124 million yuan ($18.44 million) by a court in Jiangsu province on Friday.

Jin Daoming, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress, was also deprived of his political rights for life and all his personal assets were confiscated, according to a statement from Zhenjiang City Intermediate People's Court.

The court also ruled that Jin must turn over his ill-gotten gains to the State.

Jin was found guilty of taking advantage of his positions to seek profits for others related to coal mine mergers, official promotions and discipline inspections between 2007 and 2014, the court said.

The court issued a lesser punishment as Jin owned up to his crimes and voluntarily turned over his illicit gains.

Jin was placed under investigation for "serious violations of Party discipline", a phrase usually referring to corruption in China, in February 2014 and was removed from his post and expelled from the Communist Party of China in December the same year, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Jin pleaded guilty when the case was heard.

Jin held various discipline inspection positions in Beijing before he was shifted to Shanxi in 2006, where he held several positions. He was head of the Party's disciplinary department in the province as well before he was placed under investigation.

Jin was among several officials sentenced by the courts for corruption this week.

On Thursday, Tan Li, former vice-governor of Hainan province, was convicted of bribery and sentenced to life in prison by a court in Guangdong province on Thursday. He was found guilty of accepting 86.25 million yuan in bribes.