Former Top Provincial Political Adviser Sentenced to Life for 117 Million Yuan Graft
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A court in southern China sentenced a former senior provincial political adviser to life in prison on Tuesday, the latest verdict in an anti-corruption campaign that continues to roil the country’s bureaucracy and has notably ensnared the leadership of Hunan province.
Li Weiwei, who previously served as the chairwoman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, was found guilty of accepting bribes totaling more than 117 million yuan ($16.86 million). The Hainan First Intermediate People’s Court also stripped Li of her political rights for life and ordered the confiscation of all her personal property. Photos released by the court showed a white-haired Li standing trial.
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- Li Weiwei, former senior political adviser in Hunan, China, was sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes totaling over 117 million yuan ($16.86 million) from 2008 to 2024.
- Li is the fourth high-ranking Hunan official prosecuted in recent anti-corruption efforts; colleagues Peng Guofu and Dai Daojin received suspended death sentences, and Yi Pengfei a life sentence.
- Authorities cited pervasive "family-style" corruption in these cases, with officials allowing relatives to profit from their influence.
- 2006：
- Li Weiwei was promoted to become a member of the Hunan provincial party standing committee.
- After 2006：
- Li entered the echelon of vice-provincial leadership.
- 2008：
- Li began engaging in corrupt activities, as determined by the court.
- 2014：
- Tong Mingqian, Li's former colleague, was sentenced to five years in prison for dereliction of duty related to a vote-buying scandal.
- 2016：
- Li became chairwoman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
- March 2024：
- Yi Pengfei was sentenced to life in prison for taking over 81.4 million yuan in bribes.
- July 2024：
- Li Weiwei was placed under investigation.
- January 2025：
- Li Weiwei was expelled from the Communist Party and public office.
- May 2025：
- Peng Guofu received a suspended death sentence for accepting bribes exceeding 134 million yuan.
- June 2025：
- Dai Daojin was sentenced to a suspended death penalty for bribes totaling roughly 107 million yuan.
- October 2025：
- Wulan, another senior Hunan official, was investigated.
- November 2025：
- Li Weiwei's trial opened.
- February 3, 2026：
- Li Weiwei was sentenced to life in prison by the Hainan First Intermediate People’s Court.
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