A former vice- director of a local environment protection bureau pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of accepting more than 1 million yuan ($146,000) in bribes.

Before 63-year-old Yan Shunjun retired in 2008, he abused his power to benefit businessmen and other individuals and accepted bribes of 864,000 yuan, $20,000 and 4,000 euros, according to an indictment introduced to the Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court.

Between 2003 and 2007, Yan allegedly helped Germany-based Environmental Resources Management Consulting Company obtain environment assessment clearances to green-light projects.

Yan also received 4,000 euros and $20,000 from the company to financially support his daughter studying in the United States.

Yan allegedly started a program from 2003 to 2004 to speed up the approval process for a project's environmental standards.

After the director of the program, surnamed Wu, and his brother benefited from it, they paid Yan 50,000 yuan.

Between January 2005 and March 2008, Yan allegedly obtained 108,000 yuan by having project applications, environment-assessment report and radiation supervision project approved faster.

From 2004 to 2007, he allegedly accepted 246,000 yuan from Shanghai Tongji Construction and Science Company and helped the company to gain access to various design projects.

Since 2000, Yan allegedly helped East China University of Science and Technology obtain a qualification certificate for environmental impact assessment.

He received 40,000 yuan from a director of the university surnamed Nian.

Between the second half of 2006 and 2007, he allegedly took 20,000 yuan from Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences for helping them access to a environment impact-assessment project at Hangzhou Bay.

Between 2002 and 2008, Yan allegedly helped Shanghai Huajing Environment Protective Engineering Company to obtain several noise-dealing projects and took 400,000 yuan from them.

The hearing lasted for half a day and no verdict has been reached yet.

Wu Ping contributed to the story

(China Daily August 28, 2009)