Chen Liangyu found guilty of graft
Former Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu was jailed for 18 years for corruption yesterday, becoming the highest-ranking Communist Party leader to be jailed for graft on the mainland in a decade.
The Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court declared Chen guilty of taking more than 2.39 million yuan in bribes and abuse of power. The court also stripped him of 300,000 yuan in assets, state media said.
Chen, 61, avoided the death sentence. The court said: 'Seeing that he expressed regret for all crimes and bribery, and he could return the illicit money, [the court] took circumstances into consideration and adopted lighter punishment.'
Shanghai's top leader fell from grace after he was linked to misappropriation of social security funds in the city's biggest corruption case. More than 25 government officials and company executives were implicated, with so far one having been given a suspended death sentence and several jailed for life.
Chen's lawyer said his client had not decided whether to appeal.
'I'll listen to 'Old Chen's' own ideas whether to appeal or not,' Gao Zicheng said. He said Chen's health was good.