A 50-year-old journalist has been sentenced to 16 years behind bars for taking bribes to cover up a mine disaster in the northern province of Hebei in July 2008. Li Junqi, former director Farmers' Daily Hebei bureau, is believed to be the first of 10 reporters involved in the scandal to be found guilty.

Thirty-five people died after a blast ripped through the Lijiawa mine in Yuxian county on July 14, 2008, three weeks before the start of the Beijing Olympics. Local media reports say that shortly after the blast mine bosses relocated bodies, destroyed evidence and paid the journalists the equivalent of $380,000 to cover up the disaster, keeping the tragedy from appearing in newspapers for 85 days.

A State Council investigation into the accident resulting in the prosecution of 48 local officials and the ten journalists. Li was jailed 10 years for taking bribes. Li's lawyer insists his client is innocent and has said he will appeal the verdict in the Supreme People's Court soon.

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