Ex-vice-mayor wins reprieve from death
A court has sentenced a former Beijing vice-mayor to death with a two-year reprieve for taking millions of yuan in bribes in a case that raised questions about corruption involving Olympic projects.
The Hengshui city Intermediate People's Court in Hebei province , which borders Beijing, handed down the verdict for Liu Zhihua , 59, on Saturday, four days after starting the trial, state media said yesterday.
A death sentence with a reprieve is typically commuted to life in jail. The government often shifts trials of high-level officials outside their home base to avoid any political influence.
Liu's lawyer said his client had not decided whether to appeal, Xinhua reported. But relatives wanted him to, other reports said. The court usually allows 10 days to file an appeal.
The court also deprived him of his political rights, a symbolic move. Liu is the highest-ranking Beijing official to be tried for corruption since the downfall of former party secretary Chen Xitong in 1995.