China jails former minister Li Dongsheng
January 12, 2016
Chinese state media reported on Monday that Li Dongsheng, the former vice minister of public security, was sentenced to 15 years in jail. His sentence is part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign led by President Xi Jinping.
According to a social media post by state television channel CCTV, Li (pictured) was charged with accepting bribes. He decided not to appeal the ruling, the news outlet reported.
Li was once an employee of CCTV, before becoming a high-ranking member of the public security ministry. He was a close colleague of Zhou Yongkang, a powerful security official sent to prison in June for a number of different crimes.
Xi's controversial campaign
They are just two of many notable officials who have been imprisoned as part of the president's ongoing anti-graft campaign. Another high-profile ally of Zhou, Jiang Jiemin, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in October.
Xi has made fighting corruption his central goal as president, having brought down a number of officials in the government, the military and powerful companies.
Critics argue that Xi is using the campaign as an excuse to get rid of his rivals.
blc/jm (AFP, Reuters)