JI WENLIN, former vice governor of China’s southern-most Hainan Province, stood trial on bribery charges yesterday 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 January 2013, when he served in 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 with taking or asking for bribes directly or through others totaling 20.46 million yuan (US$3.22 million). The court said Ji’s verdict will be announced at a later day.(Xinhua) |