CHINA: ANTI-CORRUPTION CHIEF SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER BRIBES

September 9, 2010: provincial anti-corruption official Wang Huayuan, 62, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a Chinese court in eastern Shandong province for accepting more than $1m in bribes. Xinhua said Wang took the cash in exchange for helping corrupt businesses avoid arrests.
Wang was detained last year when China launched a nationwide crackdown on corruption, gangs and violence. The campaign has yielded 256,000 arrests.
Wang was accused of abusing his position as secretary of the provincial commissions for discipline inspection in Guangdong and Zhejiang while a senior official in the two provinces between 1998 and 2009.
The court said the bribes were "enormous" and that Wang's offenses were "extremely serious." But considering that Wang had cooperated with investigators, confessed to all his crimes and returned all the illegally-gained assets, he was given a suspended death sentence. Sources: Xinhua, 09/09/2010)