THE former vice chairman of Shenzhen’s political advisory body stood trial Monday in Guangzhou on charges of bribery and illegally owning guns.

    Prosecutors charged Huang Zhiguang, 59, with taking bribes totaling 5.56 million yuan (US$905,681) and HK$20,000 (US$2,580) while serving as Party chief of Bao’an District and mayor and Party chief of Shantou City.

    Police found seven guns when they searched Huang’s apartment in Shenzhen in April 2011, while Huang was under investigation.

    Prosecutors said that between 1999 and 2001, while Bao’an’s Party chief, Huang took bribes totaling 350,000 yuan and abused his power to promote a friend surnamed Liu.

    Prosecutors said Huang also took bribes totaling 400,000 yuan in 2001 and 2002 from an official surnamed Zheng, then deputy chief of Bao’an’s education bureau, for Zheng’s promotions.

    Huang Zhiguang also was charged with abusing his power by granting projects to his “sworn brother,” Huang Shunfeng, in 2002 and 2003. While Huang Zhiguang was mayor and Party chief of Shantou, prosecutors said, he took bribes totaling 1.2 million yuan from Huang Shunfeng in November 2007 in exchange for helping Huang Shunfeng’s company do business in Shantou.

    Huang Zhiguang also allegedly took bribes totaling 1 million yuan from Li Yahe, chairman of Shenzhen Kingglory Industrial Group, while serving as Shantou’s Party chief in 2006. Huang donated the money to a monastery in his hometown in Haifeng County, in the name of his son, Huang Wei.

    Huang also allegedly took bribes in jade, compiling 26 pieces with a combined market value of 1.69 million yuan, from an associate surnamed Zhan, who was chairman of Uni-Top Group between 2002-2010. Zhan also gave Huang 390,000 yuan in exchange for projects and promotions offered to Zhan’s relatives, prosecutors said. Huang also allegedly received 8.5 kg of Cordyeeps sinensis, a very expensive medicine fungus worth 582,000 yuan from a subordinate surnamed Wu, deputy secretary general of Shantou Municipal Party committee.

    Huang bought a hunting rifle in 1985 and an air rifle 1990 and got licenses from Shenzhen police. But he hid the guns at home after the licenses became invalid, prosecutors said, adding that Huang also had five other guns without licenses.

    Huang admitted to all the charges in court, but insisted that there were discrepancies in the amount of bribes he took. Huang also said the five guns were gifts from friends.

    Huang was investigated in April 2011 while he was vice chairman of the Shenzhen Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the city’s political advisory body.(Han Ximin)