Former TCM administration chief jailed 15 years for bribery
Crhk · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Former National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine chief Yu Wenming was convicted of bribery in a first-instance ruling by the Tianjin No. 1 Intermediate People's Court and sentenced to 15 years in prison and a 6 million yuan fine. The court said he illegally accepted more than 63.44 million yuan in money and valuables between 2009 and 2021, either directly or through others. Prosecutors said he used his position as a deputy head of the administration, as well as influence derived from his authority and status, to help others in matters including drug registration approvals and extensions of product registration certificates. The court ordered the recovery of the illicit gains and related proceeds for surrender to the state treasury.
Key Points
- The case was publicly announced on Friday at the Tianjin No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, which delivered the first-instance judgment
- The court found Yu took more than 63.44 million yuan, with one report describing the total as over 63 million yuan.
- The bribery conduct spanned from 2009 to 2021, with one report specifying the period ran until February 2021.
- He was found to have provided assistance in drug registration approvals and renewals of product registration certificates for others.
- The court said Yu truthfully confessed, showed remorse, actively returned illicit gains, and all bribery proceeds had been fully recovered.
Why It Matters
The case centers on approvals and certificate renewals in the pharmaceutical and traditional Chinese medicine regulatory system, an area closely watched by healthcare and business sectors in Hong Kong. The sentence also shows that mainland courts continue to impose heavy penalties in corruption cases even when defendants confess, cooperate, and return illicit gains.