Liu Zhigeng

Liu Zhigeng (born June 1956) is a former Chinese politician. He was the Vice-Governor of Guangdong and the Communist Party Secretary of Dongguan. On February 4, 2016, Liu was placed under investigation by the Communist Party's anti-corruption agency. On April 18, 2016, Liu Zhigeng was double opened and transferred to the judiciary.

Career
Liu Zhigeng was born in Xingning, Guangdong in June 1956. He was the teacher of Pei Ning commune Primary School (陂宁公社) from 1973 to 1978. In 1979, he entered Jilin University and graduated in 1983. He joined the Communist Party in February 1985. From 1983 to 1992, Liu Zhigeng worked in Shenzhen Municipal Planning Bureau. In 1993 he became the mayor of Longgang District and the Communist Party Secretary of Longgang District in 1995. In 2002, Liu became the mayor of Qingyuan. Liu Zhigeng held power in Dongguan from 2004 to 2011, which served as CPC Deputy Secretary, Mayor, Director of People's Congress, and CPC Secretary. In 2011, Liu Zhigeng became the Vice-Governor of Guangdong.

On February 4, 2016, Liu Zhigeng was placed under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's internal disciplinary body, for "serious violations of regulations". Liu was expelled from the Communist Party on April 18, 2016, for "joining superstitious activities, membership in private clubs and bribery".

On February 24, 2017, the Nanning Railway Transportation Intermediate Court heard the case of Liu Zhigeng's bribery in the first instance, and found that he had accepted bribes equivalent to 98.17 million yuan, and the court decided to pronounce a sentence at an optional date. On May 31 of the same year, the Nanning Railway Transportation Intermediate People's Court publicly pronounced the verdict in the first instance, and sentenced Liu Zhigeng to life imprisonment for accepting bribes, deprived of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property; property obtained from accepting bribes was recovered and turned over to the state treasury. Liu Zhigeng said in court that he accepted the sentence and would not appeal.

On July 4, 2017, the first instance of the Nanning Railway Transportation Intermediate Court opened a public hearing on the bribery case of Zeng Xiaohua, the former investigator of the Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Finance and the actual controller of Dongguan Huarui Real Estate Co., Ltd. The public prosecution alleges that from 2006 to 2011, Zeng Xiaohua entrusted Liu Zhigeng, then Secretary of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee, to take advantage of his position to help Guangdong Jiacai Digital Technology Co., Ltd. win the bid for Dongguan cable digital TV set-top box procurement project and Dongguan Kingsun Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. for business development. Provided assistance and made profits of RMB 12 million and approximately RMB 23.05 million from the above companies respectively. Zeng Xiaohua thanked and continued to receive help from Liu Zhigeng. In 2007, he gave Liu Zhigeng a villa in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, worth about 26.17 million yuan; in 2008, with Liu Zhigeng’s consent, he gave Liu Zhigeng’s son Liu Wenrui a Land Rover Range Rover, worth approximately RMB 1.41 million. On the same day, the Nanning Railway Transportation Intermediate Court held another subsidiary case of Liu Zhigeng’s bribery case. Yang Zhimao, the legal representative of Guangdong Jinlong Development Co., Ltd., was accused by the prosecution of bribing Liu Zhigeng more than RMB 64.11 million

On May 31, 2017, Liu was sentenced to life in prison for taking bribes worth 98.17 million yuan in Nanning.