In one of the most high-profile corruption verdicts in Chinese sports and political history, former Chinese Sports Minister Gou Zhongwen has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting over33.4 million in bribes and abuse of power, the Yancheng Intermediate People’s Court announced on Monday.
Between 2009 and 2024, Gou was found guilty of using his senior political positions to illegally benefit individuals and entities in business deals, project approvals, and promotions. The court stated that he had accepted more than 236 million yuan ($33.4 million) in bribes.
He also received an additional five-year sentence for misconduct during his tenure as vice-mayor of Beijing (2012–2013), where he mishandled a major project acquisition, causing significant financial losses to public assets.
Severe Penalty Reflects Scale of Corruption
