Former Chinese provincial party boss sentenced to death

BEIJING: A former Chinese provincial Communist Party boss was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve Sunday as part of the country's ongoing crackdown on corruption at all levels.

The Anyang City Intermediate People's Court in Henan Province said Bai Enpei was found guilty of taking "a huge amount of bribes" and possessing a large amount of income from unidentified sources.

Bai had been a senior lawmaker with the national legislature and formerly served as the top-ranking official in the western provinces of Qinghai and Yunnan. His entire personal assets were also confiscated and he was barred from ever again holding office.

Suspended death sentences are usually reverted to life imprisonment after two years with good behavior.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to end corruption and government waste, although critics have accused him of using the campaign to attack political rivals.

Thousands of officeholders have been investigated as part of the campaign, and some Chinese have complained that the drive has resulted in bureaucratic paralysis as officials refuse to perform certain standard tasks out of fear of being accused of bribe-taking.