Ex-Minister Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison

File Photo

A former Vice Minister of Public Security in China, Meng Hongwei, was on Tuesday sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison for taking bribes at a court in Tianjin.

Hongwei was also fined 2 million yuan (or 290,000 U.S. dollars) by First Intermediate People’s Court of Tianjin.

Hongwei had pleaded guilty to the crime and said he would not appeal.

According to the verdict, the ex-minister had between 2005 and 2017, taken advantage of his various posts to seek benefits for certain institutions and individuals in business operations, personnel promotion and illicit benefits for others.

According to the verdict, Hongwei committed the offence with the help of some state functionaries during which he illegally accepted money and gifts worth more than 14.46 million yuan.

According to the court’s ruling; ”Hongwei provided additional information about his crimes, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse”.

The court did not, however, confiscate part of his illicit money or property, NAN reports.