Ex-China army official sentenced to death with reprieve

BEIJING

A former senior official from China’s military has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after a military court found him guilty of corruption, according to state media Monday.

Gu Junshan, a former lieutenant general who served as deputy logistics chief of the People’s Liberation Army, was convicted of embezzlement, bribery, misuse of state funds and abuse of power, Xinhua reported.

Gu has been stripped of his title and his political rights for life, while his personal assets have been confiscated, the court said in a statement.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Gu’s detention marked the beginning of China’s campaign against graft in the military.

Since President Xi Jinping launched an anti-corruption drive in 2013, tens of thousands of suspects have been investigated, including dozens of high-profile individuals at the top of the Communist Party.

The highest-ranking official to be investigated under the campaign so far has been Zhou Yongkang, an ex-security chief sentenced to life in June for revealing state secrets, graft, abuse of power and accepting bribes of around 130 million Yuan ($21.3 million).