Chinese official given death for taking bribe

Beijing, April 27 (IANS) A 60-year-old former political advisor in a Chinese province was Friday sentenced to death for taking around $2 million in bribes and sanctioning projects in return. This was the second death sentence for taking bribes in the country announced in a week.

Song Chenguang, former senior political advisor of eastern Jiangxi province, was sentenced to death with two years of probation by a people's court in Tai'an city of Shandong province, Xinhua reported.

Song, the former vice chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was convicted of taking over 12 million yuan (around $2 million) in bribes from 1998 to 2010.

In exchange, he favoured 18 companies and individuals in getting projects, gaining sales permission and getting promotions, the court said.

Given the amount of money he accepted as bribe, Song must receive severe punishment, the court said. But the two-year probation was granted because he confessed to his crimes.

Song was expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from office in July last year.

Earlier this week, an official in Shanghai was also sentenced to death for taking bribes exceeding 15 million yuan (around $2.5 million).

Chen Meng, former deputy chief of Shanghai's Putuo district, was sacked in September last year, when disciplinary inspectors found him guilty of bribery.

Prosecutors said the 49-year-old Chen took advantage of his position between 2003 and 2011 to help others win construction contracts.