Beijing:
A former senior official in China was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve today for accepting bribes worth USD 20 million.
Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court convicted Zhang Xin, former deputy head of the Hangzhou Housing Bureau, of accepting bribes totalling 124 million yuan (USD 20 million), which included cash, cars and apartments, to seek benefits for others in construction projects.
Zhang was also found guilty of causing public asset losses worth 89 million yuan and embezzling 10.5 million yuan with another accused Dong Yilin.
The court in eastern Zhejiang Province ruled all Zhang's personal assets were to be confiscated.
Dong was sentenced to 10 years in jail with two million yuan worth assets seized, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Death sentence with reprieve gives the convicted person a two-year suspended sentence of the execution. The person will be executed if found to intentionally commit further crimes during the two years, otherwise, the sentence automatically gets reduced to life imprisonment.
