Jiao Xiaoping, former deputy commander of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the crime of taking bribery of more than 67.43 million yuan ($9.38 million), a court in Chongqing announced on Monday.

Jiao, who is also a former standing committee member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of the corps, was also fined 5 million yuan by the Fifth Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing.

The illicit gains and interest obtained through bribery were confiscated in accordance with the law and turned over to the national treasury, the court said.

The court found that from 2000 to 2022, Jiao, born in 1966, had taken advantage of his various former positions, including director of the Public-Private-Partnership Center of the Ministry of Finance, provided assistance to relevant units and individuals in obtaining approved loans, acquiring equity and other matters, and illegally accepted a total of more than 67.43 million yuan in cash and valuables.

The court said Jiao's actions constituted the crime of bribery with an exceptionally large amount, and he should be punished according to law.

Considering that there were attempted bribery incidents in Jiao's criminal activities, he truthfully confessed his crimes upon arrest, voluntarily disclosed some bribery facts that the investigating authorities had not yet uncovered, admitted guilt and showed repentance, actively returned the embezzled funds and all the involved illicit funds and assets were fully recovered, thus a lenient punishment was granted in accordance with the law.

Jiao was placed under probe in February 2023, before being expelled from the CPC and removed from public office in July of the same year.