Beijing township official found guilty of corruption

A township official in Beijing was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption, taking bribes, and misappropriating public funds.

Li Bingchun, former chief of the Liqiao township government in Shunyi district, was found guilty of receiving more than 38 million yuan ($6.03 million) from a demolition compensation fund set up for the construction projects of two highways from 2006 to 2007, according to the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court.

He was also found to have lent more than 178 million yuan of public money to several property developers in 2006 and 2007, the court said.

The court also found that he abused his political power to help two companies get business contracts and land. The companies' managers gave him a bank card which allowed him to access an account with 80,000 yuan, and a gold necklace worth 153,000 yuan.

All of his private assets have been confiscated.

A death sentence with a two-year reprieve is usually reduced to life in jail if no crime is committed in two years.

Another government official who collaborated with the man to misappropriate public funds was sentenced to seven years in jail.