What’s new: A former provincial police chief has been sentenced to 17 years behind bars for accepting more than 135 million yuan ($19 million) in bribes, a court announced.
Bayannur Intermediate People’s Court in Inner Mongolia sentenced Xue Heng to 15 years for taking advantage of his official positions in Liaoning province to help others with their businesses and obtain project contracts, according to a Wednesday court statement.
From 2001 to 2019, Xue served in official roles including head of the northeastern Chines province’s public security bureau, its deputy governor, and as a vice chairman of its top political advisory body.
The court also sentenced the Liaoning native to an additional two-and-a-half years in prison for using his residual influence after retirement in 2019 to help others get official favors, the court said. In exchange, he received 863,000 yuan.
Xue was also fined 6.2 million yuan in total and had his illicit gains confiscated.
The background: Xue’s sentence came more than a year after he pleaded guilty in the Inner Mongolia court.
Xue is the third former Liaoning police chief to face criminal charges in recent years. His predecessor Li Wenxi received a suspended death sentence in January for accepting over 540 million yuan in bribes. Wang Dawei, Xue’s successor, has pleaded guilty to taking 555 million yuan in bribes and is waiting to be sentenced.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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