Zhang Yongze, former vice-chairman of the government of the Xizang autonomous region, was sentenced to 14 years in prison and a fine of 5 million yuan ($703,000) for crimes of taking bribes by the Xi'an Intermediate People's Court of Shaanxi province on Wednesday, reported People's Daily.

The court also ordered the illicit funds and assets to be seized, confiscated, and frozen and the relevant interests Zhang obtained to be recovered and turned over to the national treasury. If the recovered amount is insufficient, further recovery actions will be pursued.

The court said that Zhang was found to have taken advantage of his various work posts to aid individuals and departments in matters such as project contracting, environmental impact assessments, and personnel adjustments, and accepting bribes in return amounting to more than 51.81 million yuan. The actions took place from 2003 to 2021, during which Zhang held multiple posts, including head of the region's Environmental Protection Department, Party chief of the region's Lhokha prefecture, and the vice-chairman of the government of the autonomous region.

The court said that Zhang's actions constituted the crimes of bribery. Due to the extremely large number of bribes and the particularly enormous number of bribes he received, he should be punished according to the law.

The court imposed a lenient penalty according to the law because he truthfully confessed his crimes, voluntarily disclosed most of the bribery facts unknown to the investigators, admitted and repented his guilt, and actively returned the ill-gotten gains, which have been partially recovered after the case.

Zhang, 55, spent most of his career life in Xizang after he began work in 1997. He was placed under discipline review and supervisory investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, China's top anti-graft bodies, in January 2022. In July 2022, Zhang was expelled from the Party and removed from his public posts.