(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-09 20:03

GUANGZHOU -- A South China bank clerk has gone on trial on charge of embezzling 37 million yuan (US$4.9 million) from a major State-owned commercial bank, which he gambled with in Macao's casinos.

Gu Dazhong, 37, a former clerk with the Agricultural Bank of China Guangdong branch in Guangdong Province, was tried at Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Monday.

According to Gu's testimony, he went to Macao almost every weekend from 2004 to 2006. His most recent sum of 15.6 million yuan was too big to use in the time available.

Prosecutors accused Gu of misappropriating cash on 70 occasions by forging bank drafts and drawing the money from an account opened under a false name.

Gu, who was arrested on November 18, 2006, has turned in 150,000 yuan and appealed for leniency.  The case continues.