Trial of former Hainan vice governor accused of bribery opens

TIANJIN - The trial of former vice governor of China's southern-most Hainan Province, Ji Wenlin, on bribery charges began on Tuesday in North China's Tianjin Municipality.

The First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin heard the case.

Ji is accused of "offering help" to multiple companies and individuals in securing state funds and applying for preferential policies between late 2000 and Jan 2013, when he served several government posts successively, including one in the Sichuan Provincial government, one in the Ministry of Public Security and mayor of Haikou, capital city of Hainan.

Tianjin People's Procuratorate also charged Ji of taking or asking bribes directly or through others totalling 20.46 million yuan (3.22 million U.S. dollars). The procuratorate said Ji should be held criminally responsible for the offenses.

The court said Ji's verdict will be announced at a later day.

During the trial, the procuratorate showed evidence while Ji and his defendant went through cross-examination. Both parties expressed their opinions.

The trial came after another high profile case on Monday, in which Jiang Jiemin, former head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

China's top anti-graft body announced their investigation into Ji last February.