China's former railway minister, Liu Zhijun, has been sentenced to death for corruption, with a two-year reprieve.

He was convicted of taking bribes and abusing his power to help an investment company get illegal profits. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court announced the verdict.

It has also deprived Liu of his political rights and confiscated all his personal property. Liu was arrested in April and stood trial on June 9th. He was appointed as Minister of Railways in March 2003, and removed from his post in February 2011.

Liu was later expelled from the Communist Party of China due to serious disciplinary violations. Six years ago, Liu successfully resisted a merger with the Ministry of Transport. The merger finally went through this past March, as part of government streamlining reforms.