Chinese Official Sentenced to Death for Accepting $32.5 Million in Bribes
An eastern Chinese court has sentenced a former municipal official to death for accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (approximately $32.5 million) in bribes over the past 30 years. Yang Youlin, 69, who held various positions in Nanjing city from 1993 to 2023, was found guilty of embezzlement, abuse of power, and money laundering. The illegally obtained amount is considered one of the largest in recent years. According to government-controlled media, he abused his position by accepting money and valuables in exchange for awarding contracts, allocating land, and providing financial support to others.
Yang was investigated as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted individuals from military officers to senior banking officials. A court in Changzhou city announced on Monday that Yang had committed “extremely serious offenses” and “caused exceptionally great harm to the state and the people.” Since Xi Jinping assumed power, the campaign against corruption has continued aggressively, although critics argue it is sometimes used as a tool to sideline political rivals.
In China, the death penalty is rarely applied for economic and commercial crimes. However, it may be imposed in cases involving bribes exceeding 1 billion yuan. Previously, former financial official Lai Shaomin was sentenced to death in 2021 for accepting bribes worth 1.8 billion yuan. He was arrested in 2018. Additionally, former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping received a death sentence in 2024 for accepting bribes exceeding 3 billion yuan.
Court rulings often result in either imprisonment or suspended death sentences, which can convert to life imprisonment after a certain period. In some cases, sentences have been reduced if the accused cooperates by providing information on other offenders; Yang also cooperated with authorities. However, the court stated that due to the “seriousness” of his crimes, a reduced sentence was not warranted. Chinese state media reported that Yang admitted his mistakes and expressed “deep remorse” for his actions in his final statement.