China's former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes on an extraordinarily large scale.
This was reported by Chinese state media, citing a ruling by the Intermediate People's Court of Changchun City, Jilin Province.
According to the verdict, the former minister was also stripped of his political rights for life, and all his property and illegal gains will be confiscated by the state.
The court established that from 2007 to 2024, Tang Renjian, while holding various posts at central and regional levels, used his official position to provide patronage to organisations and individuals.
He assisted with business activities, contract negotiations, and career promotions. In return, the official accepted bribes totalling more than 268 million yuan (20.8 billion tenge).
The court noted that the defendant's actions had caused serious damage to the interests of the state and society, warranting the harshest punishment. However, in consideration of his admission of guilt, restitution of illegal gains, and other mitigating circumstances, the execution of the sentence was postponed for two years.
In China, such a reprieve often means that the death sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment provided there is good behaviour.
The case was heard on 25 July. During the trial, Tang Renjian admitted his guilt and expressed remorse in his final statement.