China jails former vice-governor as anti-corruption drive continues

Ni Fake found guilty of taking more than $2m in bribes, as senior military official loses immunity from prosecution by being booted from parliament

A former Chinese vice-governor known for his appetite for jade and the arts was sentenced to 17 years in prison on corruption charges on Saturday, a Chinese court said.

Ni Fake, former vice-governor of the eastern province of Anhui, was found guilty of taking more than $2m (£1.3m) in bribes, the municipal intermediate people’s court for the eastern city of Dongying said in a statement.

He also failed to explain the sources for nearly $1m of additional assets, the court said.

China is in the midst of a sweeping anti-graft campaign under President Xi Jinping, who has warned that widespread corruption has threatened the rule of the Communist party.

The campaign, now in its third year, has shown no sign of relaxing, with the party’s disciplinary officials vowing to root out the scourge that has alienated the party from the public.

Ni was known for his connoisseurship of jade and arts, and those seeking his favours bribed him with the precious stone and scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, in addition to cash, according to the court. It said that Ni confessed and would not appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, Liu Zheng, a senior military official embroiled in a corruption scandal, has been booted from the Chinese parliament, state media reported on Saturday.

The move means Liu Zheng has been stripped of immunity from prosecution as a member of parliament, state media said, citing a statement from the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, the largely rubber-stamp legislature.

Liu, a former deputy director of the powerful General Logistics Department of the People’s Liberation Army, is under investigation, the Ministry of Defence said in January, accused of “seriously violating party discipline” – a common euphemism for graft.

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