NANJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Hongshun, former deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for taking bribes by the Intermediate People's Court of Huaian in east China's Jiangsu Province.
The court has ordered the confiscation of Zhao's personal property.
The money and valuables he received as bribes, including any interest earned on them, shall be seized before being turned over to the state treasury, according to the verdict.
Zhao accepted the court decision and said he would not appeal.
Zhao was found to have abused the positions he held from 2002 to 2018 to help organizations and individuals undertake the printing and advertising businesses of tobacco enterprises and job promotions.
In return, he had taken bribes in the forms of money and valuables worth 90.32 million yuan (nearly 13 million U.S. dollars) from organizations and individuals, the court found.
The court said Zhao was given a lenient punishment as he confessed, provided additional information about his crime, showed repentance, and all his illicit gains had been recovered. Enditem
