Beijing [China], September 24 (ANI): A former Chinese Vice Minister of public security accused of taking over 646 million yuan bribes, was sentenced to death, just weeks before a crucial Communist Party reshuffle to be held on October 16.

The former Vice Minister, Sun Lijun has been stripped of all his political rights and all his personal property was confiscated, according to Global Times.

The crime of accepting the bribes rewarded Sun the death sentence with a two-year reprieve. And after completing that, his sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, with no possibility of commutation or parole, according to Global Times citing a court ruling.

He was also sentenced to eight years in prison for manipulating the stock market and was fined 1 million yuan, in addition to a further five years for illegally possessing firearms. The court thus decided to hand down the death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

From 2001 to April 2020, Sun used the influence accumulated through past positions to seek gains for others and illegally accepted money and property worth 646 million yuan.

In the first half of 2018, Sun manipulated related individuals to engage in stock market dealings, helping certain individuals to avoid losses of 145 million yuan.

Sun was also found to have illegally possessed two firearms, reported Global Times.

A similar incident was reported on Wednesday, where three ex-police chiefs on charges of taking bribes were punished.

Gong Daoan, a former vice-mayor of the Shanghai government and former director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes of about Yuan 73.4 million (USD 10.4 million), by the Tangshan Intermediate People's Court, Hebei province.

The court also deprived Gong of his political rights for life and confiscated all of his personal property, and his illegal gains will be handed over to the State treasury, reported China Daily.

In another case, Deng Huilin, former vice-mayor of the Chongqing municipal government and former head of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes of about Yuan 42.7 million by Baoding Intermediate People's Court in Hebei.

The court also fined him Yuan 4 million and Deng's illegal gains will be handed over to the State treasury, reported China Daily.

Separately, Liu Xinyun, former vice-governor and police chief of Shanxi province, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a court in Hebei province combined punishments of his corruption-related convictions on Wednesday.

The Intermediate People's Court in Langfang, Hebei, sentenced Liu to 12 years in prison for the crime of bribery, with a fine of Yuan 1 million, and also gave him another four-year prison term for the abuse of power. In combination, the prison term is 14 years, reported China Daily.

Gong Daoan, Deng Huilin and Liu Xinyun were sentenced over bribery charges following claims of disloyalty against President Xi JinpingTrials came just three weeks before the ruling Communist Party's national congress on October 16 at which Xi is expected to extend his rule for the third time.

Since coming to power in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a series of campaigns nominally about fighting corruption but aimed at eliminating political opponents and establishing his political prestige. (ANI)