Oct 9, 2012
Translated by Pang Lei

Yan Yongxi (闫永喜), a 49-year-old former vice governor of Beijing's Mentougou District, lost his appeal against a life sentence handed down after he was found guilty of graft, accepting bribes and embezzling public funds worth 26 million yuan.

Beijing's Higher People's Court upheld the original sentence given to "Beijing's most corrupt official" by Beijing's No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in Sept 2011.

In Jan 2010, Mao Xudong (毛旭东), who is referred to in media reports as Yan's mistress, revealed details of Yan's corruption to the authorities after they began an investigation into the vice governor following a tip-off from the public.

Mao Xudong was also sentenced to 20 years for corruption and accepting bribes.

During the initial trial, Yan repeatedly used the phrase, "I did it for the collective" in his own defense of funneling money into Mao Xudong's company. Yan also refused to acknowledge that the funds were obtained through corruption or bribery. Yan insisted that the money put into her company was for the development of collective interests and that he personally did not gain a cent and would have put money into the company even if Mao Xudong did not work there. Yan also stressed that since his first day as an official his objective was to contribute to Feng Village (where the Beijing Dingdu Garden & Greening Company is located), not to obtain personal gain.

According to the specific allegations in the indictment against Yan Yongxi, the motive for all his crimes was to provide benefits to his mistress. For example, in the latter half of 2006 he collaborated with various individuals and forged an identity and paperwork so that he could collect housing demolition compensation worth 7.5 million yuan which he then passed on to Mao Xudong.

Links and Sources
The Beijing News: 门头沟原副区长闫永喜终审判无期
Economic Observer Online: Trial of "Beijing\'s Most Corrupt Official" Commences
Economic Observer Online: Life Sentence for "Beijing\'s Most Corrupt Official"
China Internet Information Center: “京城第一贪”多数赃款赠情妇 两人同庭受审