(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-30 22:23

MACAO -- The Court of Final Appeal of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Wednesday sentenced former SAR Secretary for Public Works and Transport Ao Man Long to 27 years in jail.

The 51-year-old is guilty of corruption, money laundering, abuse of power and related crimes.

Ao Man Long is the highest official ever charged with corruption in the SAR. Due to his seniority, Ao was tried by a three-judge panel at the Court of Final Appeal.

Ao was arrested in December, 2006, and was charged with 76 counts of crimes. His trial began in November last year and concluded about a month later at the Court of Final Appeal, in which some 100 witnesses were called in by the Attorney General.