Chen Yuxiang, former deputy head of Hebei's discipline inspection commission and provincial commission of supervision, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for bribery and fined 2 million yuan ($277,028) on Tuesday by the intermediate people's court of Lianyungang in Jiangsu province.

His illicit gains and profit obtained through bribery were confiscated in accordance with the law and turned over to the national treasury, according to the verdict released by the court.

He was eligible for the lighter punishment considering that not all of his bribery attempts were completed, he confessed to his crimes truthfully after being arrested, and he voluntarily disclosed criminal facts that the supervisory authorities had not yet known.

He also admitted guilt, showed remorse, and returned the embezzled money. The illegal gains and interest involved were fully recovered.

It was revealed that from 2001 to November 2023, Chen took advantage of various positions to assist relevant units and individuals in project contracting, enterprise operations, and case handling. He illegally accepted more than 30 million yuan in bribes either directly or through intermediaries.