Corrupt Chinese official who used spy movie tricks to hide bribes jailed for 18 years
- Inner Mongolian cadre accepted more than US$22 million from officials and businessmen and hid the proceeds in chicken coops and disused water tanks
A corrupt Chinese official who used tricks he learned from spy movies to hide his ill-gotten wealth has been jailed for 18 years for accepting more than 150 million yuan (US$22 million) in bribes.
Yang Guowen, formerly party secretary of the Jining district of Ulanchabu city in Inner Mongolia was recently found guilty by Tongliao Intermediate People’s Court of accepting bribes and failing to explain his wealth, Proc uratorial Daily reported.
The report said Yang had taken so much in bribes that he needed to find places to hide the proceeds, and was inspired by the movies to stash them in places such as chicken coops, coal sheds and disused water tanks.
Investigators later estimated that these items – which included cash, gold and expensive watches – were worth over 20 million yuan.
Yang, a member of Ulanchabu’s party standing committee, was also found to be the owner of eight properties he had not disclosed to the authorities.
The Shanghai-based news portal, Thepaper.cn said Yang, 58, had also solicited help from his relatives to hide over 80 million yuan in their bank accounts.