Guangzhou | Former senior provincial official sentenced for graft

Qian Yin’an, a former senior official in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, was sentenced to 14 years in prison yesterday by a Guangzhou court for taking bribes. The Intermediate People’s Court of Guangzhou in south China’s Guangdong Province handed down the verdict.

Qian, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary-general of the CPC provincial committee, was also fined 5 million yuan (about $710,540), according to the verdict.

Qian took advantage of a number of his posts such as mayor of Shaanxi’s Baoji city and secretary of the CPC Baoji Municipal Committee, to assist certain organizations and individuals in project contracting, job promotions and other affairs between 2001 and 2017, the verdict said.

Qian was convicted of taking money and property worth over 63.13 million yuan.

The illicit gains that Qian had received in the form of bribes, as well as any interests arising from them, will be turned over to the national treasury.

The court decided a lenient punishment as he confessed to his crimes, pled guilty, expressed remorse and voluntarily surrendered his illicit gains.

Qian said he accepted the sentencing and would not appeal. Xinhua