What’s new: Shanghai’s former chief prosecutor has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for taking close to 50 million yuan ($7 million) in bribes over 16 years, a court statement showed.
Between 2005 and 2020, Zhang Bencai took advantage of his official positions to help others with their careers, businesses and with land development, the Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement Tuesday. In exchange, he received more than 48.3 million yuan in bribes.
Zhang’s official roles over the period included chief procurator of the Shanghai People’s Procuratorate, director of the General Office of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) as well as president of the Procuratorate Daily, the SPP’s official newspaper.
Zhang has been fined 4 million yuan and has had his illicit gains seized, the court said.
The background: The verdict came after Zhang pleaded guilty to bribery at his trial in August.
The 56-year-old native of East China’s Shandong province fell under a graft probe in June 2022 after serving more than six years as Shanghai’s top prosecutor. Before that, he was a founder of the Procuratorate Daily. He had spent most of his 30-year career at the SPP.
Zhang’s conviction follows that of his predecessor at the Shanghai People’s Procuratorate. Its former chief, Chen Xu, was sentenced to life in prison for bribery in 2018.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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