Former Shanghai Party Chief Chen Liangyu was sentenced to 18 years in jail for taking bribes and abusing power at the first hearing by the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Friday.

The court also confiscated 300,000 yuan of personal assets of Chen, who was also former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to the court ruling, from 1988 to 2006, Chen took advantage of his posts as head of Huangpu district government, vice-mayor and mayor of Shanghai Municipal Government, as well as deputy secretary and secretary of Shanghai CPC Municipal Committee to seek profits for Shanghai New Huangpu Group Company and Shanghai Shenhua Football Club in obtaining fiscal subsidies or compensation for building demolishment, as well as in dealing with unused real estates.

Chen has extorted or accepted bribes of more than 2.39 million yuan from organizations and individuals. But Chen urged his family members to return all the illicit money after his case was spotted.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2008)