Former senior provincial legislator of Qinghai stands trial for graft

TIANJIN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Li Jiexiang, a former senior legislator of northwest China's Qinghai Province, stood trial on Thursday on the charge of taking bribes at a court in the northern city of Tianjin.

Li is accused of leveraging his previous positions in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the associated privileges of his status to seek benefits for others in project contracting, job promotions, financial subsidies, and other fields from 2004 to 2021.

In return, he allegedly accepted money and gifts worth more than 88.23 million yuan (about 12.4 million U.S. dollars), according to the indictment. Prosecutors have recommended holding Li criminally responsible for the crime of accepting bribes.

During the trial, Li pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

The sentence will be announced at a later date.