Former Inner Mongolia senior political advisor sentenced to death in 2nd trial

Zhao Liping, a former senior political advisor in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was sentenced to death on charges of murder, taking bribes and possession of firearms, according to a second trial verdict, issued Tuesday.

The provincial higher people's court of northern China's Shanxi Province rejected Zhao's appeal against the first trial verdict, issued by the Intermediate People's Court of Taiyuan City.

The court upheld the verdict in November 2016, which stripped Zhao of his political rights, confiscated personal property worth 2 million yuan (291,100 U.S. dollars) and sentenced him to death.

As the former vice chairman of the Inner Mongolia regional committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zhao was found to have shot and killed a person, identified as Li, in Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia, in March 2015.

He also took advantage of his post to secure business contracts and official positions for associates, and accepted bribes totaling 23.68 million yuan from 2008 to 2010, as the chief of the Public Security Department of Inner Mongolia.

The Shanxi Provincial Higher People's Court said the first trial verdict was based on clear facts and sufficient evidence, and passed Zhao's case to the Supreme People's Court for approval. Endi