Former transport official gets life for taking bribes

The former head of the transportation bureau in Lanzhou, Gansu province, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) of bribes, Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court handed down the ruling of first instance on Tuesday. According to the report, Yan Chenglu launched a taxi company in 2009 and controlled a 51 percent stake in the firm when he was still in office. He quit the company in 2011 and received 7.2 million yuan, part of which he lent to a real estate company for high interest. The money he received by abusing his power amounted to 10.34 million yuan.

Yan said on Tuesday he would appeal the ruling.