Wen Qiang stands trial on April 14, 2010. [Xinhua]

A former high-ranking judicial official in southwest China was sentenced to death Wednesday after being convicted of rape and corruption charges.

Former director of the Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau Wen Qiang, 55, was convicted at the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court of accepting bribes, protecting criminal gangs, rape and failing to account for his cash and assets.

The court issued a written verdict that said the sentence also included the confiscation of all Wen's personal property and the lifetime deprivation of his political rights.

The verdict said Wen took bribes totaling more than 12 million yuan (1.76 million U.S. dollars) personally or through his wife, Zhou Xiaoya, from 1996 to 2009.

In return, Wen offered posts for officials and helped companies and business people obtain illegal profits.

Wen was also accused of shielding five major organized crime gangs in Chongqing after accepting bribes worth 756,500 yuan.

In August 2007, Wen raped a university student after making her drunk, the verdict said.

Wen failed to account for the sources of more than 10 million yuan in his personal assets.

He served as vice director of the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau from 1992 to 2008, and later as director of the Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau until he was arrested in September 2009.

Zhou was jailed for eight years after being convicted for taking advantage of being the spouse of government official and taking bribes totaling 4.49 million yuan with Wen.

In the same hearing, three former Chongqing police officers -- Huang Daiqiang, Zhao Liming and Chen Tao -- received jail terms ranging from 17 and a half years to 20 years after being convicted on corruption charges.

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