Former Tianjin mayor pleads guilty to bribery

Former acting Party chief and mayor of Tianjin Huang Xingguo pleaded guilty at a court in Hebei province on Wednesday. He was charged with accepting bribes worth more than 40 million yuan ($6 million), according to the Shijiazhuang intermediate people’s court.

According to an indictment by the Shijiazhuang people’s procuratorate, he used his position for the benefit of others through promotions and obtaining land for projects, then accepted bribes valued at more than 40 million yuan, either himself or through family members, from 1994 to 2016.

Over a 22-year period, he served as Party chief of Taizhou city, Zhejiang province; vice-governor of Zhejiang; Party chief of Ningbo in Zhejiang; and mayor and acting Party chief of Tianjin.

At the court hearing, Huang made a final statement and pleaded guilty.

In September, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country’s top anti-graft watchdog, launched an investigation into Huang for “serious violations of Party discipline”.

The commission said he severely violated the Party’s rules and code of conduct, failed to follow major decisions made by central leaders and resisted an investigation by anti-graft inspectors.

In January, he was expelled from the Party and removed from his administrative post.

The court will issue a verdict at a later date.