Jiang Zhigang, former deputy Party chief of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes worth about 80 million yuan ($11.2 million), a court in Hengshui, Hebei province, announced on Wednesday.

Jiang was also fined 5 million yuan and ordered to turn over all illicit gains and relevant interests to the state treasury, according to the ruling made by the Hengshui Intermediate People's Court.

After an investigation, the court found that from 2003 to 2023, Jiang took advantage of his positions, including deputy head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and deputy Party secretary of Ningxia, to seek profits for several departments and individuals in matters such as obtaining the qualification of franchised dealers, project bidding and business operation. In return, he accepted bribes of over 79.98 million yuan.

The court said that Jiang's behavior has constituted the crime of bribery, and the amount of his bribes was extremely large.

"Considering that he confessed to the offense, as well as reported others' criminal activities and returned his illicit gains, we've leniently punished him," it added.

Public information showed that Jiang, 64, a native of Jiangsu province, started his career in 1982 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1986.

He was probed for disciplinary and supervisory violations in March 2023. In August of the same year, he was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office.

Early this year, he was indicted on the charge of bribery, and the court publicly heard the case in June.