Zhao Shunyi, former head of China Children's Center of China, has been charged with embezzling public funds and taking bribes equivalent to 1.53 million yuan (191,250 U.S. dollars), according to sources from the court.

Zhao, aged 51, was accused of defalcating more than 1.25 million yuan (156,250 U.S. dollars) of public funds by applying for reimbursement with phony invoices from November 2000 to March 2005, said sources with the No.1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing City.

The prosecutors also alleged that Zhao took bribes worth 280,000 yuan (35,000 U.S. dollars) from certain companies by offering aid to them, not elaborating on the charge.

Zhao, born in Cangxian County of north China's Hebei Province, was once a personnel official and later head in chare of retired cadres with the National Statistics Bureau.

She started to work for the China Children's Center from March 1999 at the age of 44.

The center, affiliated to the All-China Women's Federation, is the country's only national base for children's outside-school education and research on sciences related to children's development.

Source: Xinhua