Former national political adviser pleads guilty to bribe-taking

Liu Yuejin, a former national political adviser, pleaded guilty of taking bribes of 121 million yuan ($16.66 million) while standing trial in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Thursday.

Liu was a vice-ministerial level member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory, and previously served as the head of the narcotics control bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

According to the Fuzhou prosecutors, Liu, from 1992 to 2020, was found to have taken advantage of his positions, such as deputy head of Tianjin Public Security Bureau's Tanggu branch and head of the ministry's narcotics control bureau, to seek benefits for other individuals and departments in various matters such as business operation and financing, and accepted bribes worth more 121 million yuan in return.

With evidence provided during the trial, the prosecutors said that Liu should be held criminally liable for bribe-taking.

Liu and his lawyer also shared their opinions on the evidence, and Liu confessed to the crime in his final statement.

The Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court said that the verdict will be announced at a later date.

More than 20 people from various walks of life also attended the case hearing.

Liu, 66, began his career in 1974 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1977. He had a long tenure in the anti-drug sector, and became the head of the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission in May 2015.

He acted as the commissioner for counter-terrorism of the ministry from December 2015 to June 2020.

In October 2011, Liu also led the special task force to investigate the Mekong River incident, where 13 Chinese crew members aboard two cargo ships were killed by the "Naw Kham Group" in the border area between Myanmar and Thailand.

In March 2024, he was probed for suspected serious violations of Party disciplines and national laws.