Bi Jingquan Sentenced to 14 Years in the First Instance

On September 15, the Intermediate People's Court of Jinan City, Shandong Province, issued a firstinstance verdict in the bribery case of Bi Jingquan, former Standing Committee member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and former deputy director of the Economic Committee. The court found that Bi Jingquan used the convenience of multiple positions to provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in matters such as business operations, administrative approval, and project settlement, and illegally accepted property equivalent to more than 57.42 million yuan. This constituted the crime of bribery, with an especially huge amount involved. The court ultimately sentenced him to 14 years in prison and imposed a fine of 5 million yuan; the property and fruits of the crime from the relevant bribery have been recovered and turned over to the state treasury in accordance with the law. The case was publicly heard on June 24 this year, and Bi Jingquan stated in court that he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.