Sex tape official stands trial in Chongqing

CHONGQING  - The trial of a former official embroiled in a sex video scandal opened on Wednesday in a court in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The Chongqing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court heard the case of Lei Zhengfu, former secretary of Chongqing's Beibei District Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Lei, who is accused of accepting bribes, had been dismissed from his post and placed under judicial investigation.

The 55-year-old was found to have appeared in a sex video that was posted online in November.

Police said the sex was secretly filmed by Xiao Ye, a local businessman who had been planning to blackmail officials with sex tapes.

The seven-hour trial focused on whether Lei accepted a 3-million-yuan ($489,000) bribe from a developer.

The prosecution said Lei asked a real estate businessman, surnamed Ming, to lend 3 million yuan to Xiao, who threatened to release the sex tape unless Lei gave him 3 million yuan.

Ming told Lei that he did not need anyone to repay the money, and Lei acknowledged Ming's suggestion, according to prosecutors.

The defendant's lawyer, however, said the 3 million yuan was a civil dispute of money lending, and Lei did not have any right to possess or use that money, therefore it was not bribery.

"The 3 million yuan is indeed a loan," Lei said. "I never tried to let Ming cover my mess."

The prosecution said Lei also received 100,000 yuan for helping a doctor get a higher post, but Lei's lawyer argued that the money was taken by Lei's wife and she later returned it.

The court said it would rule at an appropriate time.

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