President Xi Jinping of China

Yu Haiyan, former vice governor of China’s Gansu Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 6 million Yuan for taking bribes by a court in Chongqing on Wednesday.

According to the verdict announced by the First Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing Municipality, Yu’s illicit gains will be turned over to the state treasury.

The court found that between 1998 and 2016, Yu took advantage of his positions to seek benefit on product sales, project contracting, real estate development and personnel arrangements and promotions for others.

The court said that he was convicted of accepting money and gifts worth over 65.63 million Yuan (9.8 million dollars) personally or through his wife, Li Yanhua.

“Yu confessed his crimes, provided leads on his case, and returned all the bribes, which constituted mitigation of sentence,’’ the court said.

However, Yu decided not to appeal. (Xinhua/NAN)