Former university head given life imprisonment

Su Zhixian, former president of the Mianyang Normal University in Sichuan province, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with all his personal property confiscated, the Bazhong Intermediate People's Court in the province ruled on Sunday.

Su said he would appeal to a higher court, according to newssc.org, a major news portal in Sichuan.

From 2004 to 2012 when Su was the university's Party chief and president, he received bribes 14 times individually or together with his wife. The money involved surpassed 8.6 million yuan ($1.4 million).

Su also asked the university to loan 1 million yuan to an organization that failed to repay the money, causing economic losses to the university.

In September 2012, Su was ordered to appear at a probe into his embezzlement and abuse of power by a disciplinary inspection department. One year later, his trial started in Bazhong.

Most of the illicit money Su received has been handed over to the State treasury and the Bazhong court will press for payment of the remaining nearly 3.2 million yuan, according to newssc.org.