China’s crackdown on corruption is only intensifying, as can be seen from a Nanjing court this week handing out a lengthy period behind bars for an official who accepted bribes totaling the value of only that of a generous apartment.
It was on 2 November that the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court publicly sentenced former Party Secretary and Director of the Fujian Supervision Bureau of China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, Qi Xinzheng, finding him guilty of accepting bribes totaling more than ¥6.91 million.
The investigation found that from 2016 to 2019, the defendant took advantage of his position to provide assistance to both institutions and individuals.
Qi aided in obtaining insurance agency qualifications, increasing insurance promotion rates, mitigating administrative penalties and solving issues with HR.
In January of this year, Qi was expelled from the Party and from public office, having received gifts and monetary incentives for a considerable period.
The investigation also found that the defendant had maintained improper sexual relations and used the convenience of position to seek benefits for financial institutions, enterprises and individuals.
Qi was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months imprisonment and was fined ¥700,000. The fruits of his bribery have been recovered and turned over to the state treasury, reports The Paper.
Qi, 54, is from Laiwu City in Shandong Province. He joined the Party in June 1990 and holds a PhD in Management Science and Engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, capital of Sha’anxi Province.
In a first tier city in China today, ¥7 million would only stretch you as far as a generous apartment or a modest villa. 10 years in jail is therefore a fairly hefty price to pay, being another convincing deterrent in China’s fight against corruption.
