Former head of national tobacco body stands trial on bribery charges

Ling Chengxing, former director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, stood trial on Thursday in a court in Changchun, Jilin province, on charges of bribery and abuse of power.

He is accused of illegally accepting property worth over 43.1 million yuan ($5.9 million).

During the trial, Ling pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

Previously, Ling also held several other high-level positions, including vice-governor of Jiangxi province, the Party committee member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and general manager of China National Tobacco Corporation.

According to accusations by the procuratorate in Changchun, Ling took advantage of his positions to seek benefits for certain units and individuals in project contracting, business operations, and job adjustments.

From 2006 to 2023, he directly or indirectly received property worth over 43.11 million yuan, according to the procuratorate.

Additionally, since 2015, Ling engaged in malpractice and abuse of power during the facilitation, review of related investments, and acquisition of equity, causing significant losses to state-owned companies and resulting in particularly severe damage to national interests.

As a result, the prosecution has sought to hold Ling criminally responsible for the crimes of bribery and abuse of power as an employee of state-owned companies.

The court will announce the verdict at a later date.