Former Liaoning official sentenced to over 13 years in prison

HARBIN -- A court in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Tuesday sentenced Chen Tiexin, a former senior political advisor in Liaoning Province, to 13 years and nine months in prison for taking bribes.

Chen, former vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will have personal property worth two million yuan ($290,613.19) confiscated, according to the Harbin City Intermediate People's Court in Heilongjiang.

From 2008 to 2013, Chen took bribes of cash and goods worth a total of 21.95 million yuan when he was Communist Party chief of Chaoyang City. He helped the companies or individuals that offered the bribes with construction projects, bank loans and promotions, it said.

According to the court, Chen repented, confessed and returned his illegal gains "in an active manner," all of which are grounds for leniency.