Chinese court sentences former Nanjing economic official Yang Youlin to death in sprawling bribery case

A Chinese court on Monday sentenced Yang Youlin, a former economic development official in Nanjing, to death for taking bribes that authorities said totaled more than 2.21 billion yuan (about $325 million). The case was heard by the Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court, according to a statement describing the conduct underlying multiple convictions.

The court said Yang “illegally accepted property and assets” valued over 2.21 billion yuan from 1993 to 2023. It characterized the case as spanning a long period and involving large-scale bribe-taking, with authorities describing it as part of a broader pattern of official corruption investigated in recent years.

Prosecutors said the bribes were provided in exchange for assistance with projects and business operations, including handling “undertaking projects, business operations, land grants and working capital,” the court said. The court also said Yang was found guilty of other crimes connected to the scheme, including embezzlement, accepting bribes, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and money laundering.

The trial proceedings were held on two separate days in March and April, the court said, with more than 30 people attending. Yang delivered a final statement in court, the court said, in which he expressed “guilt and remorse.” The sentencing followed that public process and the court’s determination of multiple criminal charges tied to the alleged illicit gains.

The statement said the court ordered confiscation of Yang’s personal property. It also described how officials publicized parts of the case, including photographs released by the court showing Yang standing between police officers during the proceedings.

The sentencing underscores how China’s anti-corruption campaign has reached beyond lower-level bribery cases to targets accused of coordinating or enabling major economic decisions such as land-related matters and project financing. While critics have said such campaigns can be used for political purposes, the court’s statement in this case focused on conduct, amounts, and criminal counts as found in the trial record.

Legal avenues remain a critical next step after a death sentence. In China, death penalties generally involve additional procedural review before any final outcome, though the timing and scope depend on the specific case and the judicial process that follows the intermediate court’s judgment.