BEIJING (AFP) — The former number two of the Communist Party in one of China's most populous provinces has been sentenced to life in jail for massive graft, state media reported Wednesday.
Du Shicheng, previously the party deputy secretary in east China's Shandong province, home to 93 million people, was sentenced Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency said.
Du, 57, was found guilty of taking 6.3 million yuan (875,000 dollars) in bribes in the period from 2000 to 2006, according to Xinhua.
The court decided to be lenient because Du had confessed to some crimes prosecutors were not even aware of, the agency said.
He was sentenced at a court in Fujian province in southeast China. High-profile corruption cases are often moved to other parts of the nation to ensure unbiased procedures.
Corruption is a source of immense anger and frustration among ordinary China, and the nation's political leaders often promise they will fight graft, knowing how popular the stance is with the public.
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