China Jails Quality Control Official For Life In Bribery Case

A former official in charge of China’s quality control agency was sentenced to life behind bars on Friday for accepting more than $17 million in bribes, the court said.

Wei Chuanzhong was the deputy director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which was responsible for standards on internationally traded goods.

The 66-year-old “used his various positions” to take kickbacks in return for help with project bids and professional promotions, according to the court in central Hunan province.

The sentence ordered the seizure of Wei’s property in addition to his prison term, which the court described as “lenient” — implying that his full cooperation in the investigation spared him a possible death sentence.

Millions of officials have been punished for corrupt conduct and numerous senior officials have been sent to prison since Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated an anti-corruption campaign after he took office in 2013.