A court in eastern China has sentenced a former senior government official to death after finding him guilty of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan, or about 324 million U.S. dollars, in bribes.

Al Jazeera reports that Yang Youlin accepted the money and property between 1993 and 2023 while serving in various government positions, including in the eastern city of Nanjing.

Prosecutors said the payments were made in exchange for favours involving project approvals, business operations, land allocations and access to working capital.

Yang was also convicted of embezzlement, offering bribes, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and money laundering.

The court said Yang admitted his crimes and expressed remorse during the trial. It also ordered the confiscation of his personal property and directed authorities to recover the proceeds of the bribery.

Yang’s case was investigated under President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, which has led to the prosecution of hundreds of senior officials across China.

He is among the latest high-ranking Chinese officials to receive the death penalty for corruption.