Li Dachang, former vice governor of southwest China's
Sichuan Province, was sentenced on Tuesday to a seven-year
jail?term after being convicted of abuse of office.?
The Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court heard that Li had
been appointed head of a team assigned to resolve a contract
dispute for a power station project in Uganda.
The post included responsibility for a fund to meet compensation
claims related to the project.
From December 1999 to January 2000, Li was persuaded by Cong
Gang and An Guosheng to give money from the fund to China Sichuan
International Cooperation Co Ltd.
Li breached the fund management guidelines set by the State
Council and violated the Sichuan provincial law by concealing the
expenditure and fraudulently withdrawing funds.
Cong and An spent the money, running up losses of US$5.05
million, of which approximately US$1.2 million was later
recovered.
The judges found that Li, in his capacity as a civil servant,
was guilty of fraud for personal gain, resulting in the serious
loss of state assets.
Li was one of the 10 provincial-level officials who were given
sentences for corruption and power abuse in recent years.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2006)