Reporting Others to Merit a Demotion: Li Zaiyong Receives Suspended Death Sentence for Accepting Over 400 Million Yuan in Bribes (AI Translation)
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文｜财新 黄雨馨
By Huang Yuxin, Caixin
【财新网】62岁的贵州高官李再勇因受贿4.32亿余元、滥用职权造成生态破坏损失8645万余元，被重庆市第五中级法院判处死缓，剥夺政治权利终身，并处没收个人全部财产。法庭认定，李再勇具有检举他人犯罪构成重大立功等多个法定、酌定从轻处罚情节。
[Caixin Global] A senior official from Guizhou, Li Zaiyong, aged 62, was sentenced to a suspended death sentence by the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court for taking bribes amounting to over 432 million yuan and abusing his power, resulting in ecological damage with losses exceeding 86.45 million yuan. He was also deprived of his political rights for life and had all his personal assets confiscated. The court acknowledged that Li provided information on other crimes which constituted significant meritorious service, which was among the several legal and discretionary circumstances considered for leniency in his punishment.
据央视新闻消息，8月13日，重庆五中院公开宣判贵州省政协原党组成员、副主席李再勇受贿、滥用职权一案，对被告人李再勇以受贿罪判处死刑，缓期二年执行，剥夺政治权利终身，并处没收个人全部财产；以滥用职权罪判处有期徒刑七年，决定执行死刑，缓期二年执行，剥夺政治权利终身，并处没收个人全部财产；对李再勇受贿犯罪所得财物及其孳息依法予以追缴，上缴国库，不足部分，继续追缴。
According to reports from CCTV News, on August 13, the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court publicly announced the verdict in the case of Li Zaiyong, former member of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice chairman, who faced charges of bribery and abuse of power. The court sentenced Li Zaiyong to death for bribery, with a two-year suspension of execution, and deprived him of political rights for life while confiscating all his personal property. For the charge of abuse of power, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. The final decision was to execute the death sentence with a two-year suspension, deprive him of political rights for life, and confiscate all his personal property. The court also ordered the confiscation of all proceeds and interest from his bribery, which will be turned over to the state treasury, and any remaining shortfall will be pursued further.
经审理查明：1998年至2023年，李再勇利用担任贵州省遵义市红花岗区委书记，黔东南州委常委、副州长，铜仁地委副书记、行署专员，贵阳市委副书记、市长，六盘水市委书记，贵州省委常委、秘书长，贵州省委常委、贵阳市委书记，贵州省委常委、副省长等职务上的便利以及职权或者地位形成的便利条件，为有关个人在工程承揽、土地征收、项目规划审批等事项上提供帮助，非法收受财物共计折合人民币4.32亿余元，其中大部分未实际取得。2014年至2017年，李再勇在担任六盘水市委书记、市城乡规划建设委员会主任期间，违反法律法规规定，强令开工建设相关旅游开发项目，滥用职权造成生态破坏损失人民币8645万余元。李再勇到案后，主动交代了监察机关尚未掌握的滥用职权事实。
Upon investigation and trial, it was found that from 1998 to 2023, Li Zaiyong took advantage of his positions, including Secretary of the Honghuagang District Committee in Zunyi, Guizhou Province; Member and Vice Governor of the CPC Committee of Qiandongnan Prefecture; Deputy Secretary and Commissioner of the CPC Committee of Tongren; Deputy Secretary and Mayor of the CPC Committee of Guiyang; Secretary of the CPC Committee of Liupanshui; Member and Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the Guizhou Province CPC; Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the CPC Committee of Guiyang; and Member of the Standing Committee and Vice Governor of Guizhou Province, to assist individuals in obtaining contracts for construction projects, land acquisitions, and project planning approvals. He received bribes amounting to over 432 million yuan, much of which he did not actually collect. Additionally, from 2014 to 2017, while serving as the Secretary of the CPC Committee and Director of the Urban and Rural Planning and Construction Committee in Liupanshui, Li violated laws and regulations by forcibly initiating tourism development projects, abusing his power and causing ecological damage amounting to over 86.45 million yuan. After being apprehended, Li proactively confessed to additional instances of abuse of power that were previously unknown to the supervisory authorities.
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- Li Zaiyong, a former senior Guizhou official, was sentenced to a suspended death sentence for accepting over 432 million yuan in bribes and causing ecological damage worth over 86.45 million yuan.
- The court considered his cooperation in revealing other crimes, leading to a lenient sentence, including deprivation of political rights for life and confiscation of all personal assets.
- Li's actions included illegal borrowing for tourism projects, leading to significant state debt and ecological damage.
A senior official from Guizhou, Li Zaiyong, aged 62, received a suspended death sentence for taking bribes exceeding 432 million yuan and abusing power, causing ecological damage with losses over 86.45 million yuan [para. 1][para. 3]. The Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve, deprived him of political rights for life, and confiscated all his personal assets [para. 1]. Additionally, he received a seven-year prison sentence for abuse of power, and the court ordered the confiscation of all proceeds from his bribery [para. 1]. Li's cooperation in disclosing additional crimes and providing significant meritorious service influenced the leniency in his sentence [para. 1].
From 1998 to 2023, Li used his various high-ranking positions in Guizhou to facilitate bribes for contracts and projects, accumulating over 432 million yuan, although much remained uncollected [para. 3]. His abuse of power from 2014 to 2017 in Liupanshui resulted in significant ecological damage [para. 3]. Upon his arrest, Li confessed to other acts of abuse of power previously unknown [para. 3]. The severity of his bribery and the criminal circumstances warranted the death penalty, but mitigating factors, such as his confessions and returns of illicit gains, led to a reprieve [para. 4][para. 5].
Li Zaiyong, born in August 1962 in Wuchuan, Guizhou, started his career in agronomy before moving into politics, gradually rising to deputy department-level roles and beyond through positions across Guizhou [para. 6][para. 7]. He worked alongside several notable officials, some of whom later fell from grace due to corruption charges [para. 9][para. 10][para. 13][para. 14].
Li's political journey involved significant transfers and promotions. In November 2013, he succeeded Wang Xiaoguang as Secretary of the Liupanshui Municipal Party Committee, who was later imprisoned for corruption [para. 12][para. 16]. As Deputy Secretary of the Tongren Prefectural Committee in 2008, Li worked with officials some of whom also faced legal consequences, like Liao Guoxun, who passed away as Mayor of Tianjin in 2022 [para. 8].
In December 2016, Li joined the Standing Committee of the Guizhou Provincial Committee, becoming Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee and later Secretary of Guiyang [para. 15]. His tenure was marked by controversial and financially reckless tourism projects, significantly increasing local debt by more than 150 billion yuan [para. 18][para. 20]. His term in Liupanshui witnessed a 300% debt growth, resulting in massive state interest losses [para. 20][para. 21].
Li's impulsive borrowing was driven by ambitions to ascend to senior central government roles, focusing on personal advancement rather than genuine regional development [para. 21]. He admitted to borrowing recklessly with the future burden falling on successors [para. 21]. Throughout 2024, 23 senior officials received sentences, with Li ranking third for the highest bribe amounts among them, following He Zehua and Ji Binchang [para. 23]. This broader context highlights the extent of corruption within China's political landscape [para. 23]. ■
- November 2001：
- Li Zaiyong left Zunyi to become a member of the standing committee and deputy governor of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
- May 2008：
- Li Zaiyong was transferred to the position of Deputy Secretary of the Tongren Prefectural Committee and Commissioner of the Administrative Office.
- February 2011：
- Li Zaiyong was transferred to the provincial capital Guiyang, later becoming the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor.
- November 2013：
- Li Zaiyong took over as Secretary of the Liupanshui Municipal Party Committee.
- December 2016：
- Li Zaiyong, then serving as Party Secretary of Liupanshui, ascended to the Guizhou Provincial Party's Standing Committee.
- August 2017：
- Li Zaiyong became Party Secretary of Guiyang.
- January 2018：
- Li Zaiyong took over the role of executive vice-governor of Guizhou.
- January 2022：
- Li Zaiyong was elected Vice Chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
- March 27, 2023：
- Li Zaiyong was announced to have been dismissed from office.
- November 7, 2023：
- Li Zaiyong was expelled from the party and his public office.
- November 21, 2023：
- Li Zaiyong was arrested.
- February 7, 2024：
- Li Zaiyong was prosecuted.
- May 23, 2024：
- Li Zaiyong stood trial at the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court.
- August 13, 2024：
- The Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court publicly announced the verdict in the case of Li Zaiyong.
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