Chongqing official gets 19-year term for corruption

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-29 11:08

CHONGQING - He Mingsheng, former vice director of the Economic Commission of Fuling district, Chongqing Municipality, was sentenced to a jail term of 19 years, according to local authorities on Wednesday.

He, who fled after gambling away more than 900,000 yuan ($132,000), was charged for embezzlement and taking bribes.

The Fuling district procuratorate found that from 2005 to 2007, He took away 460,000 yuan of public funds, embezzled another 260,000 yuan and took bribes of 90,000 yuan.

Authorities with the procuratorate said that He was fond of gambling with high stakes at night and often slept at daytime during his work.

On September 20, 2007, he asked for a leave from the working unit, citing business trip, before his cell phone was turned off in the following days. Several days later, someone went to the commission, saying that He owed him money.

He Mingsheng was nabbed in December 2007 in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province.

More cases involving corrupt officials were cracked in recent years, which demonstrated the determination of central government in anti-corruption campaign.

Chinese President Hu Jintao urged the anti-corruption body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to "firmly correct officials' wrongdoings" which harm civilians' interests earlier this month.

"We should be fully aware that the fight against corruption needs long-term, complicated and tough efforts," said Hu.