A local official was sentenced to death with a two-year stay for taking 6 million yuan (about US$875,000) worth of bribes, under the first verdict of the Fuyang Intermediate Court of east China's Anhui Province on Wednesday.

Chen Shili, the former top legislator of Huainan City, was convicted of abusing his power in exchange for personal gains, said the court. Chen has denied the allegations and appealed to the local higher court.

Chen was found guilty of taking bribes from at least seven businesses, most of which were property companies, between 1991 to 2007. He held posts ranging from director of the personnel bureau in Ma'anshan to Communist Party chief of Huainan during that period.

When arrested in May 2008, he was chairman of the standing committee of Huainan Municipal People's Congress.

He was found involved in seeking to profit from property development projects, including household relocation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2008)