A former senior executive at WPP China's media buying unit (then known as GroupM) has been sentenced to life in prison after a Chinese court found him guilty in a major bribery and kickback case involving about RMB 1.2bn (US$176m).Di Fei (also known as Rycan Di), GroupM China’s former chief investment officer, was convicted in March of accepting bribes from broker firms in return for directing part of WPP’s ad-buying business their way, according to reports, including from Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the case. Two former colleagues, Yao Lan and Hong Xin (Diana), were also sentenced, receiving 14.5 years and four years respectively. Di is appealing against the life sentence, with a decision expected later this year or in early 2027, according to Bloomberg.The case has shone a spotlight on rebate-driven media buying practices that have long been controversial in China’s advertising market. Court hearings heard that brokers pooled client budgets to secure volume-based rebates from media outlets, but some of those rebates were not fully returned to advertisers. Instead, parts of the money were allegedly routed into accounts linked to the defendants. Earlier court hearings had linked alleged bribery actions between 2017 and 2020.Chinese court judgments and transcripts are not publicly available, so reports on this hearing, as well as earlier hearings reported on by Campaign, largely rely on sources involved or people present in the courts.Arguments presented in court alleged that the defendants used their positions to extract additional value through side arrangements, including requests for subcontractors to buy WPP products, offer extra discounts or provide free services. According to Bloomberg's sources, the defendants were responsible for subcontractor-related matters and some of the funds were transferred into bank accounts linked to them.Campaign has previously reported that broker-led buying is common in China, with media agency groups, media platforms and brokers often working through confidential tripartite agreements that set out rebate allocations. The system can create opacity around rebate flows and leaves room for disputes over how much money is passed back to clients.A spokesperson for WPP Media told Campaign: "We are aware of the court’s sentencing of former employees in Shanghai earlier this year. Although not a party to the proceedings, we have cooperated fully with the relevant authorities throughout the process and respect the court’s decision." The sentencing comes just as WPP Media has been rebuilding new business, emerging from past pressures related to weaker sales, client losses and investor unease in recent years. WPP has also received legal scrutiny in the US over rebate-driven deals.The holding company overhauled its China media business leadership after the 2023 arrests, just as sales in the market were challenged by a slow post-Covid recovery and weak luxury demand. The investigation has also exposed the complexity of rebate structures in China’s ad market, where annual framework agreements and intermediary buying channels can make it difficult to trace money flows clearly. Industry sources previously told Campaign that this opacity creates opportunities for abuse and corruption, especially when rebates are handled through brokers rather than directly passed back to clients.This case has attracted special attention in China, due to the large sums involved in the alleged misconduct and has galvanised more brand advertisers to press for reform and transparency in media buying practices.This story first appeared on Campaign Asia.