By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-11 07:34

SHANGHAI: Four prison officials, and the wife of one of them, were given prison sentences on Friday for taking bribes from Zhou Zhengyi, a real estate tycoon while he was in jail, the Shanghai High People's Court said.

Huang Jian, former director of Shanghai Detention House, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. And his wife, Wu Weiping, was given a three-year suspended sentence. Huang had received bribes of more than 400,000 yuan, alone or with Wu.

Fu Kehu, former political instructor of the No 5 prison, part of the Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison, was sentenced to two years in prison. He received a car worth 77,000 yuan.

Wang Zhengming, a former division chief of the Shanghai Prison Administration, received a two-year suspended prison sentence for accepting more than 41,000 yuan.

Yu Jinbao, a former political instructor of the Tilanqiao prison, received two years.

Zhou had helped Yu's wife obtain a contract for one of his decoration projects. The accused have returned their bribes.

The Shanghai High People's Court said the officials took advantage of their positions to offer special care to Zhou. They also made a false report about Zhou's performance in the jail which lead to his early release. However, Zhou is now being held in detention in connection with other offences.

(China Daily 08/11/2007 page3)