THE son and wife of former Chinese domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang were jailed for corruption yesterday.

    Zhou’s son, Zhou Bin, who had business interests in the energy sector, was jailed for 18 years for taking bribes and engaging in illegal business operations, the Yichang Intermediate People’s Court in Hubei Province, said in a verdict.

    Zhou Bin was also fined 350.2 million yuan (US$53 million) and all of his illegally obtained assets will be confiscated, according to the court.

    Zhou Bin and his father Zhou Yongkang sought benefits for others by taking advantage of Zhou Yongkang’s posts, and accepted property to the value of 98 million yuan.

    In addition, Zhou Bin collaborated with others using his father’s influence to obtain advantages for others through other officials, and accepted property to the amount of 124 million yuan.

    Zhou Bin violated State regulations by doing business in restricted items, disturbing the market order, the verdict said.

    The same court sentenced Zhou Yongkang’s wife, Jia Xiaoye, a former State television journalist, to nine years in prison for taking bribes. She was fined 1 million yuan.

    Jia and Zhou Bin will not appeal, the court said in its statement after a closed trial.

    Zhou Yongkang, 73, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was at the center of its biggest corruption scandals in more than six decades.

    In July 2014, the CPC Central Committee announced a decision to put Zhou Yongkang, a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, under investigation, and he was expelled from the CPC in December 2014.

    On June 11, 2015, Zhou Yongkang was sentenced to life imprisonment for accepting bribes of about 130 million yuan, abusing his power and deliberately disclosing State secrets. He was also deprived of his political rights for life and had his personal assets confiscated.

    (Xinhua)