Nur Bekri was the former head of Xinjiang and National Energy Administration

The former Uighur official accepted the bribes over 20 years, a court said today

Bekri said he would not appeal against the decision, according to a statement

A Chinese Muslim official has been sentenced to life in prison for receiving 79.1 million yuan (£8.7 million) in bribes while working in senior governmental positions, including the head of Xinjiang Province and National Energy Administration.

Nur Bekri, 58, gained the illegal financial perks over 20 years between 1998 and 2018, according to the country's Supreme People's Court which announced the ruling today.

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Bekri, once one of the highest-ranking ethnic Uighur officials in China, was accused by the anti-corruption body of receiving bribes and demanding provision of luxury sedans and chauffeur services for his family members.

Nur Bekri was sentenced to life in jail today for bribery. He is seen in the picture speaking to reporters as the governor of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region on August 19, 2010

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Bekri said he would not appeal against the decision, the court said in a statement on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter.

The former Communist official took a series of key posts in Xinjiang and Beijing during the period.

His roles in his home province included the mayor of provincial capital Urumchi, the deputy secretary of the Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang and the chairman of the People's government of Xinjiang.

The handout picture from the Supreme People's Court of China shows Bekri standing trial

He was then promoted to be the deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission and the head of the National Energy Administration.

The court said that Bekri had used his power on those positions to help companies and individual get project contracts, promote products and enjoy incentive policies in return for bribes.

The court deemed that the sum Bekri took was 'particularly large'.

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It added that considering Bekri had admitted his guilt and turned in most of his illegal income, the court decided to give him a light penalty.