Ex-Xinjiang Leader Admits US$11mn Bribes Charge

A former chairman of Xinjiang region pleaded guilty at a trial on Thursday to accepting US$11.5 million in bribes, the court said.

The Shenyang Intermediate People's Court said Nur Bekri – who rose to become head of China's national energy administration – pleaded guilty to accepting 79.1 million yuan (US$11.5 million) in bribes, and had "showed repentance" during the trial.

The verdict will be announced at a "select date or time," added the court on its official Weibo account.

Photos released by the Shenyang court showed Bekri in a white shirt and dark slacks, standing between two police officers in the courtroom.

He looked gaunt and noticeably thinner compared to photos from March 2018.

Bekri, an ethnic Uighur, had worked his way up in his native Xinjiang – eventually rising to deputy party secretary and government chairman in the far western region – before serving as head of the National Energy Agency.

He also served as deputy director of the country's top economic planning office, making him one of the highest-ranking Uighur officials.

Last September, China's anti-graft agency said Bekri was being investigated for "serious violations of Party disciplinary rules and laws".

He was later expelled from the Communist Party, said the Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection (CCDI) in March. (AFP)