A former police officer of Anhui Province in eastern China went on trial Tuesday charged with taking bribes.

Cheng Liming, 49, former director of the Public Security Bureau of Ma'anshan City in Anhui, was charged with taking bribes worth around 4.9 million yuan (720,000 U.S. dollars), local procurators said at the court hearing held at the Intermediate People's Court of Huainan City in Anhui.

Prosecutors said Cheng had offered business or career benefits to the bribers and he failed to explain the source for some 2 million yuan of his property.

Cheng was detained in September, 2009, on suspicion of taking bribes.