Xing Xiaoming, a former official of the finance department under China's Ministry of Finance, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for taking bribes, the Beijing Times reports.

Xing is the third official from the department to be sentenced for corruption after Xu Fangming, department head, and Wang Rui, Xing's deputy.

Xing was accused of accepting bribes by taking advantage of the department's power to approve loans and helping companies seek gains.

The Beijing Xicheng District People's Court said Xing took more than US$90,000 in bribes between 1999 and 2005, and he could not account for another US$200,000, according to the newspaper.

Xing's boss Xu Fangming was sentenced to life imprisonment last September for obtaining more than 2.14 million yuan (about US$267,500) in bribes, while Xing's assistant Wang Rui was sentenced to ten years in prison.

As China intensifies anti-corruption efforts, a quite few high-ranking government officials have been brought to justice for corruption.

Among them are Zhang Enzhao, former president of the China Construction Bank, and Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of drug watchdog. Zheng's case is still under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2007)