Female billionaire sentenced to 20 years

A Chinese businesswoman involved in the corruption case of former railway minister Liu Zhijun was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday by a local court in Beijing.

A Chinese bussinesswoman involved in the corruption case of former railway minister Liu Zhijun was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday, said a local court in Beijing.

Ding Yuxin, better known for her former name Ding Shumiao, was convicted of bribery and illegal business operations, according to the verdict by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court.

Ding, the legal representative of Beijing Boyou Investment Management Co., was fined 2.5 billion yuan (404 million U.S. dollars) and had 20 million yuan in personal property confiscated.

Ding helped 23 railway construction contractors win bids for 57 railway projects between 2007 and 2010. The illegal commission fee amounted to over 3 billion yuan (484 million U.S. dollars) and Ding herself gained more than 2 billion, the court found.

The order of the railway construction bidding market was greatly disrupted by Ding's illegal business operations, said the verdict.

The 59-year-old paid 49 million yuan in bribes to former railway minister Liu to thank him for his help between 2004 and 2011.

Liu himself was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery and abuse of power on July 8 last year.

The court added that Ding also paid 40 million yuan in bribes to an official of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development between June 2009 and September 2010. With the official's help, she also made illegal earnings.

Ding, a native of Qinshui County of north China's Shanxi Province who only finished primary school, was put under house arrest in December 2010 and was officially arrested in July 2011.