China sentenced the former deputy chief of the country's top economic planning body to life in prison for accepting bribes of 35.58 million yuan ($5.8 million) over a span of 10 years.

The Langfang City Intermediate People's Court found Liu Tienan, 60, guilty of accepting bribes, personally or through his son Liu Decheng. The court said that Liu exploited his position at the National Development and Reform Commission to secure profits for companies and individuals.

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"Faced with the facts, I have been asking myself every time I read the indictment, is this me? How did I end up like this?" said Liu, according to court transcripts posted on one of the court's official social media accounts in September, reports Xinhua.

Liu avoided receiving the death penalty because he confessed most of his crimes and showed remorse at his September trial, said the court. Liu also returned the money he had taken.

According to the court, most of Liu's bribes were related to his 29-year-old son, who is currently detained while awaiting trial. The son acted as a middleman to get projects approved by his father and was paid so-called "thank you fees" of nearly 7.5 million yuan, the court said.

Liu's decade-long pattern of taking bribes first came to light in December of 2012 after Luo Changping, then deputy editor-in-chief of Caijing Magazine, accused Liu of falsifying academic credentials and helping arrange $200 million in bank loans for a businessman.

Luo said in his Sina Weibo microblog that most of his information had come from Liu's mistress. The pair had met in Tokyo where Liu worked as an economic attache and the mistress, known only as Xu, was studying for a PhD degree. Luo alleged in his whistleblowing postings that Xu received death threats after she and Liu ended their relationship.

TagsLiu Tienan Jailed for Life Brought Down by Mistress, Liu Tienan, Liu Decheng, Luo Changping, National Development and Reform Commission