A Chinese court hands former local official a death sentence in $325M bribery case

A court in eastern China has sentenced former economic development official Yang Youlin to death for accepting bribes totaling over 2.21 billion yuan ($325 million) between 1993 and 2023. Yang, who served in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, was convicted of multiple corruption-related charges including bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power, and money laundering. The bribes were reportedly paid in exchange for assistance with projects, business operations, land grants, and working capital. Yang's sentencing occurred as part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. His personal property will be confiscated, and authorities will attempt to recover the full bribe amount. This case is one of the most significant corruption cases in recent years due to the scale of the bribes involved.

A former municipal official in eastern China, Yang Youlin, has received a death sentence for taking over 2.2 billion yuan (US$323.8 million) in bribes. Yang, who was the executive deputy director of the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone management committee, was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, misappropriating public funds, abuse of power, and money laundering. The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province delivered the verdict on Monday. In addition to the death sentence, Yang was stripped of his political rights for life, and all his personal assets were ordered confiscated. The court also mandated the seizure of his ill-gotten gains and their yields, with the state empowered to recover any outstanding amounts.