China Trial of Economic Planner Sheds Light on Bribery

Chinas former deputy planning chief brokered deals and helped approve projects in return for cars, furniture and a phantom job for his son, prosecutors said at a corruption trial yesterday that detailed a culture of back-room dealings in the worlds second-largest economy.

Liu Tienan, the former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, confessed to taking advantage of his position to seek benefits, according to a running transcript posted to the official microblog of the Langfang City Intermediate Peoples Court, south of Beijing, where the trial took place. Liu, 59, and his son Liu Decheng took 35.6 million yuan ($5.8 million) worth of bribes including cash, homes and cars in the decade to 2012, the microblog transcript said.

Prosecutors said that, among other crimes, Liu allegedly took bribes to help set up a dealership for a Chinese carmakers joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp.; used his relationship with the president of Chinas biggest aluminum producer to secure a deal for a company that was paying him; and helped win approval for a chemical plant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, according to the microblog transcript. While Liu confessed to receiving bribes, his defense lawyer disputed some facts and amounts, the microblog said.

Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. Close

Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

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Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Liu is one of the highest level officials to go on trial since he was netted in President Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign that targets Communist Party cadres from the top to bottom ranks and in all the countrys provinces. Last year, former Politburo member Bo Xilai was convicted of bribery and abuse of power and sentenced to life behind bars, while a graft probe was announced against the countrys former security chief, Zhou Yongkang, in July.

What we are seeing here is a typical Chinese procedure, where there is a media trial, where they say that hes a bad guy, his son is a bad guy, that he took this bribe and that car, said Bo Zhiyue, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapores East Asian Institute. You dont see anything in his defense coming out.

The account of the proceedings was released throughout the day on the courts Weibo microblog, a service similar to Twitter. The court will announce its verdict and sentencing at a later date. There was no mention of proceedings against Lius son or any of the executives referred to in the accusations.

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China Trial of Economic Planner Sheds Light on Bribery