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September 7, 2013

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Official in sex video scandal denies bribe

By Li Qian | September 7, 2013, Saturday | Print Edition

A FORMER Party official at the center of a sex video scandal that transfixed China yesterday appealed against bribe-taking convictions in southwest China’s Chongqing City

Lei Zhengfu, former Party secretary of Beibei District in Chongqing, was seen having sex with a young woman in a video footage that surfaced on the Internet last November.

The clip, which was several years old, was used by local businessman Xiao Ye to blackmail Lei.

In June, Lei was sentenced to 13 years in prison at the Chongqing No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court for taking nearly 3.16 million yuan (US$516,344) in bribes between 2007 and 2012.

The court heard that Lei pocketed 3 million yuan in a bribe in February 2008 linked to the sex video.

But Lei disputed this and appealed.

At the Chongqing Higher People’s Court yesterday, Lei claimed that he was unaware he was extorting cash when he asked businessman Ming Yongzhi to lend 3 million yuan to Xiao, China News Service reported.

He insisted he knew nothing about any bribe agreement between Xiao and Ming.

Lei said he helped Xiao raise money because Xiao was blackmailing him with sex videos and also because he wanted to befriend Xiao.

Appearing as a witness, Xiao claimed he never mentioned the videos when he borrowed some of the cash from Lei.

He also said that Ming told him that Lei did not need to repay the cash.

In November 2010, Lei and Xiao returned 1 million yuan to Ming in a bid to cover up the bribery, prosecutors said.

The court did not report a verdict yesterday.

On Thursday, Xiao and two other members of the extortion ring, Xu Sheqing and Yan Peng, appealed for lighter sentences. On June 28, Xiao was jailed for 10 years by the Yubei District People’s Court.

Xiao and Yan pleaded guilty, but Xu insisted he was innocent and claimed he exposed the sex videos, leading to an anti-corruption campaign, Beijing Times reported.

The Chongqing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court didn’t return verdicts.

Nation


 

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