Lu Kehua, formerly a senior official in Chongqing municipality, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes by a court in Sichuan province on Friday, China Central Television reported.

The Luzhou Intermediate People's Court also imposed a lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal assets against Lu, who previously served as a member of the standing committee of the Chongqing committee of the Communist Party of China and secretary of the city's political and legal affairs commission.

The court found that Lu illegally accepted money and gifts worth around 189 million yuan ($27.8 million) between 1997 and 2024. In return, he used his position to help certain parties secure project contracts, pass qualification reviews and attain other improper benefits.

Proceeds from Lu's activities which have already been seized are to be turned over to the State treasury, while efforts continue to recover the remainder.

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