China jails former security chief for life over abuse of office

China’s former domestic security chief, Zhou Yongkang, was sentenced to life in jail on Thursday after being found guilty during a closed-door trial of bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power.
Zhou, who was formally charged in April, was tried in the northern city of Tianjin on May 22.
He admitted his guilt and decided not to appeal against the verdict, the report said.
Zhou, 72, is the most senior Chinese official to be ensnared in a graft scandal since the party swept to power in 1949.
The decision to try Zhou underscores President Xi Jinping’s pledge to fight corruption at the highest levels.
“I accept the prosecution’s accusations and the basic facts are clear; I admit my guilt and am penitent,” Zhou reportedly told the court.
Zhou’s crimes took place over decades, including when he was deputy general manager of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
The crimes also dates back to when he was party boss in southwestern Sichuan province, minister of public security and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, according to the initial indictment.
He has not been seen in public since October 2013.
Zhou was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee- China’s apex of power- and held the post of security tsar until he retired in 2012.