A female official from southwest China, famously known as “the beautiful governor” due to her striking looks, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and fined one million yuan ($140,000) for misconduct, including having sexual relations with 58 subordinates and accepting nearly 60 million yuan ($8.5 million) in bribes. According to South China Morning Post report, the official, identified as 52-year-old Zhong Yang, previously served as the governor and deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Qiannan prefecture, Guizhou province.
Raised in a modest family, she studied history at university and joined the CPC at the age of 22. She eventually advanced to the rank of deputy in the National People’s Congress (NPC), added the report. Zhong gained recognition for founding a fruit and agriculture association to support farmers and personally funding aid for the elderly, South China Morning Post reported.
However, a January documentary by Guizhou Radio and Television revealed controversies surrounding her. Allegations surfaced that Zhong accepted bribes and leveraged her position to secure lucrative contracts for favoured companies under the guise of government investment. One instance involved her approving the development of 170,000 sq m of land in a high-tech industrial estate for a businessman with whom she had close ties.
This land was later repurposed for real estate development, yielding significant profits for Zhong, added the report, citing China’s.