Former general manager of CNOOC appears in court on bribery charges

Li Yong, former general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, was tried on Wednesday for suspicion of taking bribes of more than 67 million yuan, a court in Hubei province said.

According to the People's Procuratorate of Xiangyang, Li, who was also the deputy Party chief of CNOOC, the country's largest State-owned operator in the field of offshore oil and gas production, took advantage of his various positions from 1996 to 2023 to provide convenience in his official capacity for relevant enterprises and individuals in matters such as business agency, product sales and job adjustments.

The 61-year-old directly or through others illegally accepted a total of 67.94 million yuan ($9.24 million) in bribes. And the procuratorial organ has brought criminal charges against Li for bribery.

The Xiangyang Intermediate People's Court said the verdict will be delivered at a later date.

According to public information, Li, started working at CNOOC in 1984. From March 2017 to September 2020, he served as the deputy general manager of Sinopec Group. Subsequently, he took the roles of vice-chairman and general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

He retired in December 2023 and was placed under investigation three months later.