Chen Tonghai, the former chairman of Chinese oil giant Sinopec Corp, yesterday was sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve, in what is believed to be the country's biggest bribery case.

Chen, 61, was convicted of illegally receiving 196 million yuan ($29 million) between 1999 and June 2007, when he resigned abruptly as chairman of Sinopec Corp, also known as China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation. In return for bribes, Chen helped others "seeking illegal interests" in company operations, land transfers and contracts, according to the verdict from the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court. The verdict did not name the people who made the bribes.

The court recognized that he surrendered "all the facts related to his bribe-taking", which investigators had not known, and turned in all the bribes. Chen could have been sentenced to death given the nature of the crime.