A Chinese court has sentenced former justice minister Tang Yijun to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of accepting bribes worth nearly ¥137 million (about $19.7 million) over more than a decade, state media reported on Monday. The Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court ruled that Tang abused his successive positions—including governor of Liaoning province, party leader in Ningbo, and justice minister from 2020 to 2023—to secure benefits for businesses and individuals in areas such as initial public offerings, bank loans, land deals, and case handling.

The court said the “particularly high” amount of bribes caused “grave damage to the interests of the state and the people.” Tang was also deprived of political rights for life, and his personal assets will be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury.

His sentence comes amid President Xi Jinping’s longstanding anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted scores of senior officials in recent years.