LU JINGFENG, the former head of Shenzhen No. 2 Vocational Technical School, stood trial Monday in Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court for allegedly taking bribes of more than 6 million yuan (US$937,500).

    According to the prosecutors, Lu, 52, a doctorate degree holder, took 6.39 million yuan, HK$150,000 (US$19,350) and US$10,000 in bribes in exchange for awarding school construction projects to his bribers and hiring or transferring teachers.

    He worked as head of the Shenzhen vocational school and Bao’an Vocational Technical School between 2003 and December 2010.

    In February 2011, a manager with Shenzhen Xunding Science and Technology Co., surnamed Shi, was awarded contracts for 17 projects at the Shenzhen vocational school. Shi agreed on the amount of money equivalent to 15 percent of the contract value to Lu in order to secure the business.

    After the projects were completed Shi gave Lu 4.46 million yuan. When Shi was investigated in April 2013, Lu borrowed 4 million yuan from a private company and paid back 3.4 million yuan in cash and another 1 million yuan through bank transfers to Shi.

    In 2012, a manager with Shenzhen Kete Property Management Co., surnamed Chen, wanted to renew its contract for the property management of the Shenzhen vocational school. Lu demanded Chen subcontract part of the property management to Shenzhen Xinnuo Investment and Development Co. at inflated prices.

    In December 2013, Kete paid 700,000 yuan in property management fees to Xinnuo. In return, Lu dined at a cafeteria operated by the Xinnuo company from March 2012 to January 2014 without paying the 405,000 yuan for the food.

    Lu pleaded guilty in court, but insisted that out of the 4.46 million yuan he received from Shi, only 1 million yuan should be treated as bribe money because he had returned the rest.

    He said it is an unwritten rule for school authorities to receive commissions to pay for receptions.

    The trial continues.

    (Han Ximin)