Former Guangxi official gets death with reprieve

Qin Rupei, former vice-chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous regional government, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes of more than 216 million yuan ($30.04 million), a court in Sichuan province announced on Wednesday.

Qin was also deprived of political rights for life, with confiscation of all his personal assets. His illicit gains and related interests were ordered to be turned over to the State treasury, according to the ruling made by the Deyang Intermediate People's Court.

In China, a suspended death sentence is typically commuted to life in prison if the inmate commits no new crimes during the two-year probation period. The sentence can be further reduced for good behavior.

After an investigation, the court found that from 1998 to 2024, Qin took advantage of his positions, including as deputy governor of Guizhou province and vice-chairman of the Guangxi regional government, to seek benefits for some individuals and departments in matters such as project contracting, business operations and job transfers. In return, he received bribes worth over 216 million yuan.

Qin's actions have constituted the crime of bribe taking and he deserves capital punishment, as the amount of the bribes he accepted was "extremely large", causing huge losses to the interests of the country and the people, the court said.

However, the court added that it showed leniency because Qin confessed, voluntarily reported bribes unknown to investigators and agreed to turn over his illicit gains.

According to public available information, Qin, a 62-year-old native of Guizhou, started his career in August 1983 and joined the Communist Party of China in July 1985. Before he went to work in Guangxi in early 2018, he had served in his hometown for decades.

In April 2024, he was placed under disciplinary and supervisory investigation. In October, he was expelled from the Party and removed from public office.

In February, he was indicted on the charge of accepting bribes, and the court publicly heard his case in May.