A court in China has sentenced a former justice minister to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption and other charges.

China Central Television says the court in Jilin Province ruled on Thursday that Fu Zhenghua abused his power and took 117 million yuan, or some 16.5 million dollars, in bribes between 2005 and 2021. Fu was also convicted of helping to hide crimes of his younger brother.

Fu, also a former vice minister of public security, has a long career in police and judiciary sectors, which are said to have been disloyal to President Xi Jinping.

In a series of high-profile crackdowns, the Xi leadership removed a number of senior officials who had major clout in divisions overseeing police and the judiciary.

Those purged included Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the top leadership, who was jailed for life on corruption charges.

Thursday's ruling comes as President Xi is believed to be tightening his grip on the ruling Communist Party ahead of its national congress in October.