Former minister sentenced to death for bribery

Tang Renjian, former minister of agriculture and rural affairs, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery, a court in Changchun, Jilin province, announced on Sunday.

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

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

The court said it found Tang, from 2007 to 2024, made use of his work positions, including governor of Gansu province and the minister of agriculture and rural affairs, to seek benefits for some individuals and departments in various matters, such as business operation, project contracting and job adjustment.

In return, Tang accepted bribes worth 268 million yuan ($37.57 million), the court said.

"Tang should be convicted of bribery and sentenced to death because the amount of his bribes was extremely large, causing huge losses to the country and the people," it emphasized.

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

Tang, 63, a native of Chongqing, started his career in 1983 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1991. He worked in the country's agricultural sector for decades.

He was placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of the Party disciplines and national laws in May 2024. Six months later, he was expelled from the Party and removed from public office.

In April, he was indicted on the charge of bribery. In July, the court publicly heard the case.