Former top Chinese General sentenced to life for corruption

A 74-year-old former top Chinese General was today sentenced to life by a military court for taking bribes, the second highest PLA official to face trial for graft as part of President Xi Jinping's massive crackdown on corruption.
Gen Guo Boxiong was also deprived of his political rights for life and stripped of his rank.
His personal assets were seized, and all illicit money and materials were confiscated and turned over to the state treasury, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Guo is a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest commanding authority of2.3-million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Guo also was once among the 25 members of the party's Politburo.
According to prosecutors, he was found to have taken the advantage of his position to assist the promotion and relocation of other people, accepting an extremely huge amount of bribe personally and through his family.

He was charged with taking a total of 80 million yuan (USD 12.3 million) in bribes. The reports cited prosecutors as saying that he had confessed to the bribery charges.
Guo had earlier been put under corruption investigation and was in July expelled from the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).
Guo's prosecution had been expected since March 2015, when his son, Maj Gen Guo Zhenggang, was placed under formal investigation for corruption and unspecified criminal activity.

He is the second highest ranking military official to face trial.
Earlier, Gen Xu Caihou who was also the former Vice Chairman of CMC was stripped of all ranks and faced trial. But he died of cancer last year.
In all, over 40 top Generals faced anti-corruption probes in the unprecedented anti-graft campaign launched by President Xi Jinping who headed the CMC.
Thousands of officials including high ranking leaders were indicted in Xi's anti-corruption campaign which also drew criticism that it enabled him to consolidate his hold on the power.