The Communist Party official whose downfall ushered in China's graft crackdown admitted to taking bribes and abusing power under the instructions of the country's retired public security czar.
Li Chuncheng, 59, a former deputy party chief in China's Sichuan province, said Thursday that he and his wife accepted more than 39 million yuan ($6.3 million) in payoffs between 1999 and 2012, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The admission came after prosecutors told Xianning Intermediate People's Court that Li's actions were supervised by the ex-security chief, Zhou Yongkang.
"The bribery and abuse-of-power crimes I committed severely harmed the party and public interest," Li testified, according to Xinhua. "I sincerely admit to guilt and repent, and am willing to accept the legal punishments."