A Chinese court on Friday sentenced a former top security official to life in prison, ending President Xi Jinping's crackdown on the "political clique" just weeks before the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
What Happened: China's former Vice Minister of Public Security Sun Lijun, who was ousted in 2021 from his position, was handed a suspended death sentence with no possibility of parole by a Changchun court in Jilin province, according to CGTN, Bloomberg reported.
The report said Sun was found guilty of taking 646 million yuan ($91 million) worth of bribes along with stock manipulation and illegal gun possession. However, it made no mention of the former vice minister's political dealings.
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In 2021, Xi Jinping-led CCP's top disciplinary body had previously accused him of "cultivating personal power and forming an interest group." He was also accused of releasing confidential documents.
The other two people associated with the 'political clique' — former Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua and Wang Like, a senior official in Jiangsu — were also given suspended death sentences.
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