TWO corrupt senior officials in Guangdong Province were sentenced to 14 years and life in jail, respectively, in Shenzhen on Friday after they were convicted of accepting bribes, Chinese-language media reported over the weekend.

    Li Xinghua, former chief of Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, was sentenced to life in jail for taking 15.81 million yuan (US$2.51 million), HK$1.1 million (US$141,900) and US$30,000 in bribe money, the media reports said.

    He was also convicted of receiving 12.2 million yuan worth of shares from several companies and abusing his power to gain government subsidies for research projects, according to the reports.

    According to prosecutors, Li Xinhua requested that those bribing him negotiate with men who were holding his son in custody after his son racked up a gambling debt of 18.4 million yuan. Before Li Xinghua was investigated by the Party’s disciplinary inspection commission, he arranged for his wife and son to escape abroad.

    Li Xinghua said he would appeal against the court ruling Friday.

    Meanwhile, Li Yongheng, a retired official from the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of the State Administration of Taxation, was given a jail term of 14 years for taking 9.42 million yuan and HK$650,000 in bribes when he was chief of the provincial taxation department.

    Prosecutors said that Li Yongheng had abused his position as a tax official for several enterprises’ advantages in exchange for bribes.

    Among the bribes, the largest sum was from Chaozhou Zhongxia Investment Co. Ltd., which gave him 6.5 million yuan.

    In April 2013, Li Yongheng and his wife asked Zhan Pingbing, CEO of Chaozhou Zhongxia, for 6.5 million yuan to pay for a property in Australia, which they purchased for their daughter. Li Yongheng reportedly had close ties with Zhan and constantly fought for Zhan’s advantage during his tenure.

    Li’s daughter reportedly received a HK$60,000 salary from Perfect (China) Co., a Zhongshan-based company for which she didn’t do any work, after Li Yongheng exerted his personal influence on the taxation bureau in Zhongshan. Li had also served as chief of the Shenzhen Municipal Taxation Bureau from 1999 to 2001.

    Li pleaded guilty during the hearing at Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court on Friday.

    (Han Ximin, Yi Ran)