LIU QIANG, former vice governor of Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, was handed a 12-year prison term plus a fine of 1.2 million yuan (US$178,818) for taking bribes and disrupting elections, the Third Intermediate People’s Court of Beijing ruled yesterday.

The money and property that Liu had received in the form of bribes, as well as any interest arising from them, would be sought and recovered, while the money and property used by him to disrupt elections would be confiscated before being turned over to the state treasury, according to the verdict.

Liu stated his acceptance of the judgment in court and said he would not appeal.

He was found to have taken advantage of his positions ranging from Party chief and general manager of Fushun Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of the PetroChina Co. Ltd., mayor of Fushun and secretary of the Fushun municipal committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to vice governor of Liaoning Province, to help certain organizations and personnel with running enterprises, contracting projects and job transfers between 2000 and 2017, according to the court.

He had, directly or through personnel with whom he had specific relations, accepted money and property worth around 10.63 million yuan (US$1.58 million) from others, the court said.

Between 2011 and January 2013, Liu, in order to get elected as vice governor of Liaoning Province, took advantage of his power and influence as secretary of the CPC Fushun Municipal Committee to disrupt the election through lobbying and paying bribes for votes, including giving others money or property and asking for favors, the court found. (Xinhua)