Former China State Railway Group boss guilty of taking US$7.9m in bribes

Sheng Guangzu, ex-general manager of the China Railway Corporation, stands trial in Shaanxi province on 3 August (Image: Baoji Intermediate People’s Court in Shaanxi province)

The former general manager of China Railway Corporation, now known as China State Railway Group, has pleaded guilty to taking CNY 56.7 million (US$7.9 million) in bribes.

Sheng Guangzu, 74, was accused of taking advantage of his various posts, which also included being head of the General Administration of Customs, railway minister, and a member of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, to help individuals and companies on project contracts, job promotions and enterprises’ operations.

In return, he accepted assets amounting to about CNY 56.7 million either directly or through others, according to China Daily, an English-language newspaper owned by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

Sheng, whose career began in 1968 Sheng served as the first head of the China Railway Corporation, from March 2013 to October 2016.

Baoji Intermediate People’s Court in Shaanxi province heard his case publicly last week and will issue a verdict at a later date.