Former Guangxi CPPCC Vice Chairman Gets Suspended Death Sentence
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago7 MIN
Summary
The Foshan Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong publicly delivered its first-instance verdict on September 29 in the bribery case of Peng Xiaochun (彭曉春), a former member of the leading party group and vice chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, sentencing him to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery. The court also ordered lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all his personal property, while assets and proceeds already recovered from the bribery case are to be turned over to the state treasury and any shortfall will continue to be pursued. The court found that from the second half of 2006 to March 2025, Peng used a series of senior posts in Guangxi to help units and individuals in project contracting, fund disbursement and project approvals, illegally taking more than 263 million yuan directly or through others. Although the court said the amount was exceptionally huge and caused especially major losses to state and public interests, it ruled that the death sentence need not be carried out immediately because of mitigating factors including attempted elements in part of the crime, truthful confession, additional disclosures, meritorious service, remorse and active return of illicit gains
Key Points
- The first-instance judgment was announced publicly by the Foshan Intermediate People's Court on September 29, with both reports saying Peng received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.
- Peng was convicted of bribery after the court found he accepted property worth more than 263 million yuan, or about HK$310 million, directly or via intermediaries.
- The court said the bribery took place from the second half of 2006 to March 2025 and involved help with engineering contracts, payment disbursements and project approvals.
- Peng held multiple senior Guangxi posts, including deputy party secretary of Liuzhou, party secretary of Hezhou and Baise, and later Guangxi CPPCC vice chairman.
- Besides the suspended death sentence, the court imposed lifelong political disqualification, confiscated all personal property, and ordered continued recovery of any unrecovered illicit proceeds
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is another example of mainland courts imposing one of the harshest available penalties in major corruption cases involving senior regional officials. It also underlines how bribery investigations can span many years of official appointments and extend to project approvals, public funding and engineering work, areas closely watched by businesses dealing across the border.