Former Chinese oil giant exec handed 14-year sentence for bribery

A Chinese court on Friday sentenced Xu Wenrong, former deputy general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation, to 14 years in prison for accepting bribes.

Xu was also handed a fine of 3.5 million yuan (about 496,000 US dollars), and his illegal gains from bribery will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury, according to a statement issued by the Intermediate People's Court of Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

An investigation revealed that between 1998 and 2023, Xu took undue advantage of his various positions to assist individuals and organizations in matters related to project contracting, equipment purchases, business operations and job promotions. In return, he accepted money and valuables worth a total of 53.29 million yuan.

The court stated that Xu's actions had constituted the crime of bribery, and had involved an exceptionally large amount of money, warranting lawful punishment. Xu's truthful confession of his crimes, his expression of remorse and the return of his illicit gains were taken into consideration, and the court handed down a lenient sentence.