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Chinese Official in Sex Scandal Gets 13-Year Sentence Chinese Official Sentenced to 13 Years in Sex Scandal
(about 1 hour later)
HONG KONG — Lei Zhengfu, the Chinese official whose bulbous face became an icon of debauched corruption, was convicted of taking bribes and sentenced to 13 years in prison on Friday, after a scandal that exposed both him and sordid deal-making in Communist Party politics. HONG KONG — Lei Zhengfu, the Chinese official who became an icon of corruption, was convicted of taking bribes and sentenced to 13 years in prison on Friday in a scandal that exposed the sordid deal-making in Communist Party politics.
The conviction of Mr. Lei was the culmination of a fall that began when video images spread on the Internet in November showing him, naked and bug-eyed, in the embrace of an 18-year-old woman who was not his wife. The pictures, and ensuing accusations of graft and extortion, made Mr. Lei and his doughy features a much-mocked exhibit in newly appointed Communist Party leaders’ efforts to persuade citizens that they are stamping out official graft and depravity, which have stoked deepening public ire. The conviction of Mr. Lei was the culmination of a fall that began when video images spread on the Internet in November showing him with an 18-year-old woman. The images, and ensuing accusations of graft and extortion, made Mr. Lei a much-mocked exhibit in the newly appointed Communist Party leaders’ efforts to persuade citizens that they are stamping out official graft and depravity, which have stoked deepening public ire.
Mr. Lei was sentenced days after China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, made a renewed call to stop bureaucratic venality. A court in Chongqing, the municipality in southwest China where Mr. Lei once worked, dismissed his argument that a payoff of US$488,000 that he arranged through an associate was not corrupt hush money to keep the video secret, but a legitimate loan. The court said the money amounted to a bribe taken by Mr. Lei himself. Mr. Lei was sentenced days after China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, made a new call to stop bureaucratic venality. A court in Chongqing, the municipality in southwest China where Mr. Lei once worked, dismissed his argument that a payoff of $488,000, or 3 million renminbi, that he arranged through an associate was not hush money to keep the video showing him with the young woman secret, but a legitimate loan. The court said the money amounted to a bribe.
“The sums involved were massive, and the effects were malign,” said the verdict read out to Mr. Lei in the courtroom, according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. “This should be sternly punished according to the law.”“The sums involved were massive, and the effects were malign,” said the verdict read out to Mr. Lei in the courtroom, according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. “This should be sternly punished according to the law.”
China’s leaders have vowed to take down corrupt officials, however low or high – “both flies and tigers”, they have said. But Mr. Lei was a fly; before his dismissal in November, he was party secretary of Beibei, a district of Chongqing. Critics said the spectacle of his trial did not make up for Mr. Xi’s failure so far to take down any truly senior officials, despite widespread speculation about corruption investigations in the government and military involving powerful figures and huge sums. China’s leaders have vowed to take down corrupt officials, however low or high. Before his dismissal in November, Mr. Lei was party secretary of Beibei, a district of Chongqing. Critics said the spectacle of his trial did not make up for Mr. Xi’s failure so far to take down senior officials, despite widespread speculation about corruption investigations in the government and military involving powerful figures and large amounts of money.
“Lei Zhengfu was not a high-level official,” Zhu Ruifeng, the muckraking blogger who first publicized the lurid, leaked images of Mr. Lei, said in a telephone interview from Beijing. “I don’t see much hope of the party and government really taking on corruption. Each generation of leaders vows to do that, but the results are plain to see. We don’t hold much hope.” “Lei Zhengfu was not a high-level official,” Zhu Ruifeng, the muckraking blogger who first publicized the lurid images of Mr. Lei, said in a telephone interview from Beijing. “I don’t see much hope of the party and government really taking on corruption. Each generation of leaders vows to do that, but the results are plain to see. We don’t hold much hope.”
But the verdict drew avid interest from Chinese media and on Web sites. On Friday, another court in Chongqing convicted Xiao Ye, the businessman who orchestrated the honey trap and threatened to expose the footage from 2008 that showed Mr. Lei, now 55, and the young woman having sex. Mr. Xiao was imprisoned for 10 years on extortion charges, and the woman, Zhao Hongxia, was given a sentence of 2 years. The verdict drew avid interest from Chinese media and on Web sites. On Friday, another court in Chongqing convicted Xiao Ye, the businessman who orchestrated the “honey trap'’ and threatened to expose footage from 2008 that showed Mr. Lei, now 55, and the 18-year-old woman having sex. Mr. Xiao was imprisoned for 10 years on extortion charges, and the woman, Zhao Hongxia, was given a sentence of two years.
On China’s Internet, some voiced wry sympathy for Mr. Lei. “Lei Zhengfu was given a sentence of 13 years. He was in bed for 12 seconds, which makes one year for each second, with a year to spare,” said one of the many similar jests on Sina.com’s Weibo, China’s most popular equivalent of Twitter. “Very clearly, Lei Zhengfeng is, relatively speaking, that rare clear official – a district head for just 3 million yuan,” said another, referring to China’s renminbi currency. On China’s Internet, some voiced wry sympathy for Mr. Lei. “Lei Zhengfu was given a sentence of 13 years. He was in bed for 12 seconds, which makes one year for each second, with a year to spare,” said one of the many similar jests on Sina.com’s Weibo, China’s most popular equivalent of Twitter.
After the sentence was announced, Mr. Lei did not say whether he would appeal, said Xinhua. China’s party-run courts rarely find in favor of defendants, especially in politically charged cases such as this one. After the sentence was announced, Mr. Lei did not say whether he would appeal, said Xinhua. China’s party-run courts rarely find in favor of defendants, especially in politically charged cases like this one.
Mr. Xi, the party chief, has launched a “rectification” drive intended to clean up official ranks. During a recent meeting that lasted four days, he and other leaders denounced “hedonism, extravagance” and other bureaucratic sins, and took turns to chastise themselves and others, state media reported. “Strictly manage your own families and personal staff,” Mr. Xi said. “Don’t abuse power for selfish gain, don’t seek special privileges.” Mr. Xi, the party chief, has started a “rectification” drive intended to clean up official ranks. During a recent meeting that lasted four days, he and other leaders denounced “hedonism, extravagance” and other bureaucratic sins, and took turns to chastise themselves and others, state media reported. “Strictly manage your own families and personal staff,” Mr. Xi said. “Don’t abuse power for selfish gain, don’t seek special privileges.”
Mr. Lei was among the first of a succession of party officials whose seamy misdeeds were exposed on the Internet, leading to their downfalls, after Mr. Xi became party leader in November. The hunger for exposing wayward officials, some literally caught with their pants down, has encouraged an underground trade of extortionists who concoct pictures of lurid encounters. But Mr. Zhu, the blogger, said party authorities have in recent months tightened restrictions on using the Internet to air allegations of corruption. Mr. Lei was among the first of a succession of party officials whose misdeeds were exposed on the Internet, leading to their downfalls, after Mr. Xi became party leader in November. The hunger for exposing wayward officials has encouraged an underground trade of extortionists who concoct pictures of lurid encounters. But Mr. Zhu, the blogger, said party authorities have in recent months tightened restrictions on using the Internet to air allegations of corruption.
“At the time of the leadership handover, when we exposed Lei Zhengfu, the censorship was not so tough, but now it is again,” he said. “Our working environment is worsening.”“At the time of the leadership handover, when we exposed Lei Zhengfu, the censorship was not so tough, but now it is again,” he said. “Our working environment is worsening.”