Former top Chinese energy official Liu Tienan stands trial on corruption charges
Prosecutors seek penalties that could see ex-head of the National Energy Administration jailed for life
A former top energy official and economic policymaker accused of accepting more than 35.58 million yuan (HK$44.88 million) in bribes stood trial on Wednesday morning, state media reported.
The trial of Liu Tienan, a former head of the National Energy Administration and ex-deputy chief of the National Development and Reform Commission, began at 8.30am at Langfang City Intermediate People’s Court in Hebei province, the court said on its official Weibo microblog.
Liu, 59, was charged with bribery and abuse of power by the Langfang Municipal People’s Procuratorate, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate previously announced on its website.
Prosecutors said that Liu had “taken advantage of his position to seek profit for others and had illegally accepted a particularly large amount of property”. They called for penalties that could see Liu jailed for life.
The Weibo account showed a photo of Liu, clad in a black jacket and standing stiffly in court on Wednesday flanked by two uniformed court police officers.
Prosecutors said Liu had accepted more than 35.58 million yuan in bribes between 2002 and 2012 either himself or through his son Liu Decheng.The bribes came from various business people in exchange for benefits such as project approvals and assistance in securing car dealership, the statement said.