Former top military official gets life sentence for accepting bribes. (Photo : Getty Images)
A former senior official of the People's Liberation Army undergone investigation was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of accepting bribes.
On Monday, former top general Guo Boxiong was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for graft practices, making him the topmost official to receive capital punishment.
Guo's Sentence
According to the South China Morning Post, Guo served as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission for a decade from 2002 to 2012.
During his tenure, he oversaw daily operations of the powerful commission.
Three years following his retirement, he was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) after his name was dragged into a corruption case that was part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on "tigers" and "flies."
According to China Daily, Guo was accused of accepting "bribes personally and in collusion with others" for using his position to help others rise into the ranks and get reassigned to certain places.
A previous report from the SCMP revealed that the Guo received as much as $12.3 million worth of bribes.
He pleaded guilty of all the charges and decided not to appeal. His personal assets and ill-gotten wealth were seized since by the State treasury. His trial was kept confidential because it covered some "military secrets."
Aside from spending life in prison, he was also stripped of his rank as general, per a court statement cited by the China Daily.
The court assured that Guo's rights were "fully protected" and that he enjoyed the company of his legal counsel during the course of the trial.
"We fully protected his rights, sending the indictment and telling him his litigation rights and duties after the case was filed on May 3. His lawyer was allowed to meet with him and look up materials for the case," a court statement stated.
Corruption Crackdown
Aside from Guo, many others were probed for corruption, most of whom have been found guilty of the crime.
Earlier this month, the former deputy head of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Ling Jihua also received life sentence after he admitted to accepting bribes worth $11.6 million.
"I accept all the charges and submit to the judgment. Today's trial will be engraved in my memory," the Xinhua News Agency quoted him saying during his final statement in court.
Meanwhile, Chinese political analyst Zhang Lifan believes that the sentencing of the high-ranking military official is a show of force by the CPC ahead of the annual Beidaihe meeting.
