Death sentence handed down for corruption

Zhang Zhongsheng, a former vice Mayor of the city of Lvliang, Shanxi Province, has been sentenced to death on Wednesday for taking and extorting bribes, the Intermediate People's Court of Linfen, Shanxi Province has announced.

It is the first death penalty without reprieve connected to an official's corruption conviction since 2012.

Zhang Zhongsheng, former vice Mayor of the city of Luliang, Shanxi Province, is sentenced to death on March 27, 2018, for taking and extorting bribes. [Photo: CGTN]

Zhang Zhongsheng has been convicted of receiving bribes worth a total of 1.04 billion yuan (165 million US dollars) from 1997 to 2013.

The court in Linfen says while the amount Zhang took is not the largest ever recorded, the manner in which he flaunted the system is the reason for handing down the ultimate punishment.

Prosecutors say Zhang Zhongsheng extorted 88.68 million yuan on his own initiative, and also failed to refund 300 million yuan worth of bribes after coming under investigation. The court says Zhang has inflicted particularly heavy losses to the state and the people.