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1st LD: Corrupt Ling Jihua jailed for life

Xinhua, July 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Former deputy head of China's national political advisory body Ling Jihua was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power.

Ling accepted bribes totalling over 77.08 million yuan (11.6 million U.S. dollars) personally and through his family, according to the first-instance ruling by the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin.

He pled guilty and decided not to appeal, the court said.

Ling was vice chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, before an announcement at the end of 2014 that he was under investigation.

"I accept all the charges and submit to the judgement," Ling said in his final statement. "Today's trial will be engraved in my memory."

He said the trial was "solemn, meticulous, rational and civilized," embodying a combination of rule of law and humanitarian treatment.

"I sincerely thank the court, the procuratorate and [my] two attorneys," Ling said. Endi