A former official in east China's Zhejiang Province was sentenced to death by a court on Monday at the first trial for accepting bribes totaling 2.764 million yuan (about US$333,000), 100,000 Hong Kong dollars and US$25,000.
Luo Jianyu, former director of the Zhejiang Press and Publication Administration, was accused of taking bribes together with other officials of the province.
The Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court also said it would confiscate Luo's personal property including treasury bonds of 150, 000 yuan (US$18,072) and US$25,000.
Luo's accomplice, Li Boyun, former deputy director with the Research Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and his property totaling 250,000 yuan (US$30,120) was seized by the court.
(Xinhua News Agency November 13,2001)
