Former Chinese Defense Ministers Sentenced To Death Over Bribery And Corruption | India Today

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]There's a big story that's coming in from China. China has sentenced two former defense ministers to death. Of course, there's a 2-year reprieve over corruption charges. The big big big story coming in. Two former defense ministers in China have been sentenced to death. This is a suspended sentence as of now. So former defense ministers We Fang Sha and Lee Shang Fao both have been handed suspended death sentences.

[00:00:30]They were both found guilty of bribery and corruption having assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. This sentence was announced by a military court in China and this hearing lasted nearly two months, two years. So what we've been given to believe since very little information filters out of Beijing uh the sentence was announced by a military court in China nearly 2 years after both the leaders were expelled. Both the former defense ministers of China were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for what Beijing described was serious violation of discipline. So way fen he served at China's defense minister between 2018 to 2023. Remember that galvan uh incident and the standoff along India China line of actual control that took place in 2020.

[00:01:31]He was succeeded by Lee Shang Fu who was removed from office in October 2023 just 7 months after taking charge as the defense minister of China. In June 2024, both Lee and his predecessor Wei were formally expelled from the Chinese Communist Party. Lee Shang Fu was accused of accepting bribes, abusing his position to grant favors and taking massive sums of money for benefits that he was able to extend. He was also initially accused and then later found guilty of paying others to secure undue advantages. We fang was also initially charged and later found guilty of accepting money and expensive gifts and misusing his office to help others in return for getting cash and other valuables as gifts. In China, a death sentence with a 2-year reprieve is typically commuted to a life in prison if the convict commits no further crimes during the reprieve period. However, the sentence is usually converted into life in prison. Do keep in mind no parole, no reduction of any sentence. So as long as both the former defense ministers live, they will remain in prison. We'll be tracking that story very closely. Do keep in mind more than 100 Chinese generals have either been sacked or jailed or demoted by Xiinping uh who's seen who's the most powerful leader of China including the chairman of their central military commission, the secretary of the communist party and the president of the country. And he's axed a number of ministers and top generals.