HEFEI -- Xu Gang, former vice governor of the Southeast China's Fujian province, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for corruption on Thursday.

Xu's personal assets worth two million yuan ($288,000) will be confiscated and his illegal gains turned over to the state, according to the ruling made by Hefei City Intermediate People's Court.

The court said Xu took advantage of various posts from 2002 to 2014 to seek benefits for others. He accepted bribes worth over 19.8 million yuan, personally or via his wife and daughter.

The court showed leniency as Xu confessed to his crimes, including details not previously known to investigators, expressed remorse and voluntarily returned his illegal gains.