Former Sichuan legislature vice-chair gets suspended death sentence
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago6 MIN
Summary
The Guiyang Intermediate People's Court in Guizhou publicly delivered a first-instance verdict on Tuesday, sentencing former Sichuan Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee vice-chair Song Chaohua (宋朝華) to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery, along with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property. The court said Song illegally accepted more than 148 million yuan in money and valuables between 1993 and 2025 while using a series of official positions in Sichuan to help companies and individuals in business operations and project contracting. It also ordered the recovery of the proceeds of crime and related gains for transfer to the state treasury. Although the court said the amount involved and the damage caused would ordinarily warrant a death sentence, it ruled that immediate execution was not necessary because of mitigating factors including attempted but uncompleted bribery counts, truthful confession, additional disclosures, guilty plea, remorse and full recovery of the stolen assets.
Key Points
- The first-instance judgment was announced on September 22 by the Guiyang Intermediate People's Court in Guizhou, according to mainland media reports.
- Song was convicted of bribery and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, lifelong political disqualification, and total confiscation of personal assets.
- The court found he accepted more than 148 million yuan, or about HK$173 million, in illegal payments and valuables from 1993 to 2025.
- Prosecutors said he used posts including county party chief, district party chief, mayor, municipal party secretary and provincial legislature vice-chair to provide favors.
- The court cited mitigating factors including incomplete bribery conduct, truthful admissions, voluntary disclosure of undiscovered facts, remorse, active return of assets and full recovery.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers tracking mainland official accountability, the case shows that very large corruption cases involving provincial-level former leaders can still end in suspended death sentences when courts find substantial mitigating circumstances. It also underlines how anti-graft cases can span decades of local and provincial appointments, with courts targeting both the officeholder and the full recovery of illicit proceeds.