HEFEI-- Dong Yunhu, a former senior legislator of Shanghai, on Wednesday was sentenced to life imprisonment for receiving bribes.

Dong, former secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Standing Committee of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and former chairman of the committee, was also deprived of political rights for life. His personal property will be confiscated, and his illegal gains from bribery will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury, according to the sentence of the Intermediate People's Court of Hefei, Anhui province.

The court found that Dong had taken undue advantage of his various posts to provide assistance to various organizations and individuals in matters such as financing and loans, land transfers, business operations, and personnel arrangements. In return, he illegally accepted money and valuables worth more than 148 million yuan ($20.8 million).

The court also noted that Dong had been cooperative in the investigation and in returning the illegal gains, which had been recovered in full. These facts were taken into consideration when handing down the sentence.