KONG WEIJUN, a former official in Bantian Subdistrict of Longgang District stood trial Monday over charges of bribery and allowing illegal construction. Under his watch a 13-story building worth millions of yuan was illegally constructed and put on sale.

    Kong, who worked as a deputy director of an enforcement department, allegedly colluded with his supervisor, Su Xuejian, to take bribes worth 850,000 yuan (US$137,020) in total and turned a blind eye to illegal construction in return.

    According to the prosecutor, the 13-story building Kong allowed to be built towers over all the buildings nearby.

    Two people suspected of constructing the illegal building, Zou Xuefeng and Li Sihai, asked Su to protect them in 2010. The two paid kickbacks to Su afterwards.

    According to Kong, Su asked him to give “special care” to Zou and Li.

    When the building was finished and ready for sale, Kong bought three apartments for 450,000 yuan from Zou under the instruction of Su. The market price for the three suites was around 900,000 yuan by then.

    Zou later helped Kong sell the three apartments, profiting Kong 855,000 yuan.

    The prosecutor said that Zou also gave Su a reward of 400,000 yuan using the same method.

    In court Monday, Kong denied that he bought the apartments in order to profit. He defended his purchase as a home for his relatives, but said he had to sell them as he was sending his child to study abroad.

    Last October, after Su saw police arrest Kong, Su escaped with bribe money and has not been found yet.

    The case is under investigation.

    (Zhang Qian)