Former senior official's corruption trial opens

ZHENGZHOU - A former high-ranking official in the southern boom province of Guangdong stood trial on Thursday for taking bribes and failing to account for a huge amount of assets.

Zhou Zhenhong, former member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), attended a hearing at the Xinyang municipal intermediate people's court in the central province of Henan, the Henan Higher People's Court said in a statement.

Zhou, 57, was also formerly head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee.

He was accused of taking 24.6 million yuan ($4 million) in bribes from 33 people to help them get job promotions, gain business interests, and win elections to the local political advisory body between July 2002 and February 2011.

He also failed to account for 37 million yuan in personal assets, the court said.

It will announce a verdict at a later date.