The District Court sent a strong message to people involved in corrupt practices such as bribing government officials.

A Chinese national who tried to bribe a senior bureaucrat was jailed, told he would be deported after his incarceration and handed a hefty fine.

District Court Judge Matautia Raymond Schuster said the offending from a Chinese national to bribe a government official with $5000 was serious and warrants a harsh penalty. 

Qinping Yan attempted to export 202 sacks of sea cucumbers and similar species valued at $1.8 million but was prevented when the Ministry of Customs and Revenue intercepted the operation. 

Yan pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited export and one count of bribing a government official connected to the incident in April 2020. Yan went to the former M.C.R. Chief Executive Officer's house with $5000 in an attempt to have the container cleared without inspection.  

Judge Schuster took 12 months as a starting point for the bribery charge and deducted time for the early guilty plea, good character, and act of mercy leaving Yan with six months to serve. 

He was also ordered to pay $130,000 in fines for the charge of prohibited export and will be immediately deported after serving his imprisonment term. 

Yan was represented by lawyer Muriel Lui. 

The full story will be published on Tuesday’s Edition.