Former Chinese Justice Minister Sun Lijun Sentenced To Death For Accepting Bribes

Sun was also sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for stock market manipulation and was fined 1 million yuan in addition to further five years for illegally possessing firearms.

Former Chinese Vice Minister of public security Sun Lijun

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An ex-Chinese Vice Minister of public security has been sentenced to death for taking over 646 million yuans in bribes, reported news agency ANI. The development has come just weeks ahead of a crucial Communist party reshuffle in the country which is scheduled to be held on October 16. 

The former Vice Minister, Sun Lijun has been stripped of all his political rights and all his personal property was confiscated, stated the report quoting Global Times.

The crime of accepting the bribes rewarded Sun the death sentence with a two-year reprieve. And after completing that, his sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, with no possibility of commutation or parole, according to Global Times citing a court ruling.

Sun was also sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for stock market manipulation and was fined 1 million yuan in addition to further five years for illegally possessing firearms. The court thus decided to hand down the death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

As per the report, from 2001 to April 2020, the former vice minister used his influence accumulated through past positions to seek gains for others and illegally accepted money and property worth 646 million yuan. 

Sun had manipulated related individuals to engage in stock market dealings in the first half of 2018, and helped certain individuals to avoid losses to the tune of 145 million yuan. 

He was also found to have illegally possessed two firearms as per the Global Times report. 

A similar incident was reported on Wednesday where three ex-police chiefs on charges of taking bribes were punished. 

Gong Daoan, a former vice-mayor of the Shanghai government and former director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes of about Yuan 73.4 million (USD 10.4 million), by the Tangshan Intermediate People's Court, Hebei province. 

The court also deprived Gong of his political rights for life and confiscated all of his personal property, and his illegal gains will be handed over to the State treasury, reported China Daily, quoted by news agency ANI.