After 13 years as a fugitive, former Chinese official Yang Xiuzhu was sentenced on Oct. 13 to eight years in prison and a fine of 800,000 yuan (about $121,400 USD). Her assets, worth more than 26 million yuan (about $4 million USD), were also seized.
According to the Chinese court, from 1996 to 1999 while acting as deputy mayor of Wenzhou City (located on the southeastern coast) and deputy head of the Zhejiang Province construction bureau, she embezzled more than 19 million yuan and accepted more than 7 million in bribes.
