Ma Fengsheng, a former political adviser from Qinghai province, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a court in Gansu province on Wednesday for accepting bribes of more than 40 million yuan ($5.8 million).

Ma was also fined 4 million yuan, and his illicit gains and related interest will be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury, according to the ruling announced by the Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court.

The court found that from 2001 to 2023, Ma took advantage of his positions in Qinghai to seek benefits for others in matters such as the allocation of poverty relief funds and project contracting, accepting bribes totaling more than 40.56 million yuan in return.

The court said Ma's conduct constituted the crime of bribery and noted that he should be severely punished for the "extremely large" amount involved.

However, it granted leniency in sentencing, citing that some bribery attempts were unsuccessful, that Ma confessed to the crime, voluntarily disclosed a large number of bribes previously unknown to investigators, and actively returned illicit gains.

Public information shows that Ma, 62, a Qinghai native, began his career in 1984 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1985.

Before he was placed under investigation in December 2024, he served as vice-chairman of the Qinghai Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He was expelled from the Party and removed from public office in May 2025. Four months later, he was indicted on a bribery charge, and the court publicly heard the case in November.