Former Shanghai official gets 14 years for taking bribes

A former government official of east China's Shanghai Municipality Thursday was sentenced by a local court to 14 years in jail for taking bribes and was fined 200,000 yuan (29,294 U.S. dollars).

Cai Zhiqiang, 46, former head of Shanghai's Putuo District and former vice chief of Shanghai Municipal Human Resources, was also deprived of his political rights for three years, according to a verdict of the Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People's Court.

Cai was arrested in December 2009 and convicted of taking bribes worth of 2.84 million yuan between 1999 and 2009. All assets he illegally obtained have been confiscated.

He confessed that he took a total of 1.07 million yuan in cash and properties worth 70,000 yuan between 2005 and 2009 from businessman Wang Yuexiang and abused his power to give Wang special favors in several business deals.

He also admitted to taking money from several companies in return for preferential treatment in real estate development.

Source: Xinhua