On Tuesday, Zhu Congjiu, a former senior political adviser in East China's Zhejiang province, was sentenced to life imprisonment for accepting bribes by the Ganzhou Intermediate People's Court in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province.

Zhu was found to have made use of his various work positions from 2002 to 2022, including as general manager of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission's department and deputy governor of Zhejiang, to seek profits for individuals or departments in matters such as company listing, financing loans and business operation.

In return, Zhu accepted bribes of more than 105 million yuan ($14.8 million).

The court determined that Zhu's actions constituted the crime of bribery involving an extraordinarily large sum and warranted severe punishment under the law. However, several mitigating factors influenced the court's decision. These included unsuccessful attempts at bribery in certain instances, Zhu's full confession of his crimes upon being apprehended, his voluntary disclosure of additional offenses unknown to investigators, his expression of remorse, and his proactive return of illicit gains. Notably, all illegal funds and assets involved in the case were fully recovered.

Taking these factors into account, the court granted discretionary leniency while still delivering a stringent punishment. In addition to the sentence of life imprisonment, Zhu was deprived of political rights for life and ordered to forfeit all personal assets.