Chinese official, 69, sentenced to death for accepting S$418.5 million in bribes over 30 years

A man who was a former Chinese city official has been sentenced to death for taking more than 2.2 billion yuan (S$418.5 million) in bribes over 30 years.

According to China Daily, 69-year-old Yang Youlin was the former executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing economic and technological development zone in East China's Jiangsu province.

On Jul. 6, he was sentenced to death by the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court after being convicted of multiple crimes, including embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering.

The court imposed the death penalty after combining his sentences.

Yang was investigated as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown, reported the BBC.

According to the BBC, he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

Exploited positions to embezzle funds

China Daily reported that from 1993 to 2023, Yang held various appointments, including his roles as an adviser to the Nanjing Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone and as executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing development zone.

He used his role to secure project contracts, business operations, land transfers and capital turnovers in exchange for bribes.

From 2001 to 2002, Yang served as director of the construction bureau in Jiangning district and misappropriated a total of 15 million yuan (S$2.85 million).

Yang also abused his power as director of the district's construction bureau and deputy head of the administrative committee of the district's development zone to illegally arrange for land expropriation, demolition and construction projects from 2003 to 2009.

Concealed money obtained from bribes

He also unlawfully rebated land transfer fees, which resulted in 23 million yuan (S$4.37 million) in state financial losses.

From 2014 to 2016, Yang was working as executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing development zone when he colluded with others to embezzle 12 million yuan (S$2.28 million).

He also offered more than 25 million yuan (S$4.75 million) in bribes to officials from 2005 to 2023 to gain improper advantages.

He also concealed and disguised 1 million yuan (S$190,142) from bribery by lending the money to a company under his control, reported China Daily.

Circumstances 'extremely serious'

According to China Daily, the court said Yang's crimes warranted the death penalty as the amount of bribes was "extremely large", and the circumstances were "extremely serious".

In sentencing, the court said that while Yang reported criminal activities committed by others, it did not justify a more lenient sentence.

Yang was also deprived of his political rights for life, and all of his personal assets were confiscated.

According to the BBC, death sentences for white-collar crimes in China are rare and are typically meted out when cases concern large sums exceeding 1 billion yuan (S$190.2 million).