Beijing: An ex-aide of former Chinese president Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, official media reported Monday.
Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal, Xinhua news agency said, citing the verdict of the First Intermediate People's Court in Tianjin, which held his trial in secret last month.
"The trial today is engraved on my bones and in my heart," it quoted Ling as saying in his final statement to the court.
The chief judge carried out his duties "fairly and lawfully", he added, and the proceedings were "solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised".
Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party, which expelled Ling -- once Hu's chief of staff -- from its ranks last year.
The verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown on graft by current President Xi Jinping that has deposed several senior officials, notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was himself jailed for life last year.
Critics say that a lack of transparency around the crackdown means it has been an opportunity for Xi to eliminate political enemies.
Ling's son died in a notorious Ferrari crash in Beijing which disrupted a once-in-a-decade party leadership change in 2012.
Ling, his wife and son received bribes worth a total of 77.1 million yuan ($11.6 million), Xinhua said.
The court found that the bribes Ling took were "exceptionally enormous" and "the criminal circumstances" under which he obtained state secrets were severe, said the report.
His abuse of power caused "huge losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people" and had "especially vile social impact", it said.
Under Chinese law the death penalty is available for corruption cases, but Xinhua said Ling was given a reduced sentence for having "faithfully" confessed to his crimes and being penitent for his actions.
- Nude woman -
Ling had powerbases in the northern province of Shanxi and the Communist Youth League -- seen as a proving ground for politicians who, unlike Xi, do not benefit from family links to high-ranking revolutionaries.
One of his brothers, Ling Zhengce, a senior official in Shanxi, was put under investigation in 2014 for serious violations of "discipline and the law" -- a euphemism for corruption -- and expelled from the party last year.
Another brother, Ling Wancheng, has fled to the United States, a Chinese anti-graft official confirmed in January, adding Beijing was "in touch" with Washington about his case.
His exile has led to widespread speculation that Ling Jihua had given him top state secrets, including the launch codes for China's nuclear weapons, to give him some leverage in negotiations with Beijing over his case.
Analysts have said that a delay of more than a year between the party's internal investigation and Ling's criminal prosecution reflects caution on Xi's part.
When Ling was charged the country's national prosecuting authority said the accusations were "extremely serious".
Ling "abused his power" as director of the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee, where he worked under Hu, it said, adding that in several party leadership posts he "illegally received large amounts of property and obtained state secrets".
Graft is endemic in China's authoritarian system, and Xi has acknowledged it as a threat to the ruling party's survival.
The 2012 car crash involving Ling's son scandalised China despite a mainland media blackout -- partly because two young women, one nude and one partially clothed, were also injured in the crash, with one reportedly dying months later. Internet users questioned how the son of a party official could afford a car worth a reported five million yuan.
AFP
