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Death penalty for corrupt commerce offical in east China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-24 23:58

HEFEI -- A former commerce official of east China's Anhui Province was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in the first trial on Wednesday for scandals including corruption, bribery and embezzlement.

Cai Wenlong, 55, former deputy head of Anhui Commerce Department, was found guilty of misappropriating more than 14 million yuan (2.1 million US dollars), seeking private interest for others after taking bribes worth three million yuan and embezzling public funds of 17 million yuan for personal profit, according to the Intermediate People's Court of Chaohu City.

The court also said Cai invested the state-owned assets to stock and futures markets, costing a loss of more than 300 million yuan.

All the belongings of Cai were confiscated and his illicit money had to be recovered, according to the verdict.

Cai committed the crimes between 1998 and 2006 when he served the board chairman of several state-owned enterprises including Anhui Material Group Co. Ltd and Huishang Group Co. Ltd. He was promoted to the commerce department's deputy head in January, 2007.

Several senior officials of Huishang Group had got jail terms before Cai's trial. Cai has not appealed as of Wednesday night.