China sentences former minister to death with two-year reprieve for bribery

Shenzhen [China], September 28 (ANI): Former Chinese agriculture minister Tang Renjian has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a court in Jilin province announced on Sunday, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The Changchun Intermediate People's Court said Tang had accepted cash and property worth more than 268 million yuan (USD 38 million) between 2007 and 2024 while serving in different government positions, as per Xinhua.

The court ruled that Tang's crimes caused severe damage to the state and public interest and warranted the death penalty. However, the sentence was suspended for two years as he had confessed, returned illicit gains and expressed remorse.

"All of Tang's personal property will be confiscated, and his illegal earnings will be recovered and handed over to the national treasury," the court said in its verdict.

Tang, 62, was expelled from the Communist Party in November 2024, six months after he was placed under investigation by the party's anti-graft watchdog and removed from office.

During the trial in July, prosecutors, the defendant and his lawyers examined evidence and presented their arguments. Tang pleaded guilty and said he regretted his actions in his final statement.

He previously served as governor of Gansu Province from 2017 to 2020, before being appointed as Minister of Agriculture.

The case is part of President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has also led to expulsion of two former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe. (ANI)

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