A FORMER official with the Guangdong Provincial Water Resources Department denied the charges of taking 14.8 million yuan (US$2.15 million) in bribes at a trial in Shenzhen on Monday, local Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

    Peng Zeying, born in 1950, denied abusing his power and taking bribes at the trial at Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, insisting he was innocent.

    According to the prosecutors, Peng allegedly abused his power, when he was working as a deputy chief in the Guangdong Provincial Water Resources Department between 2006 to 2010, to help Guangdong Boao Hongji Group win a water conservancy project in Zhanjiang City.

    He also allegedly offered to help Han Qingyun, chairman of the company, with project payments and supervision. In return, Han allegedly paid Peng 10 million yuan on his payroll, although Peng never worked for a single day at the company.

    Between 2009 and 2010, Peng asked Han to jointly invest 8 million yuan with Peng’s son in developing farmland in Huazhou, Guangdong Province. Peng’s son took a controlling 60 percent share in the project without paying a penny, while Han’s company controlled the remaining 40 percent, the prosecutors said.

    At the trial, Peng denied giving any favors or providing any convenience to Han regarding the water project. Peng claimed that the 10 million yuan he had taken from Han was actually a “pre-payment” for a project that he had promised to work on after his retirement. Peng also claimed that his son had never taken any share in Han’s company.

    (Han Ximin)