A former senior justice official has lost his appeal against the death sentence after he was convicted of corruption charges involving organized crime in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The Municipal Higher People's Court Friday rejected the appeal of Wen Qiang, who was sentenced to death by a lower court April 14 for accepting bribes, shielding criminal gangs, rape and failing to account for his cash and assets.

The death sentence will be forwarded to the Supreme People's Court for review before the execution is carried out.

Wen, 55, 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.

The Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court last month issued a verdict, saying Wen took bribes totaling more than 12 million yuan (US$1.76 million) personally or through his wife from 1996 to 2009. In return, Wen offered posts for officials and helped companies and business people obtain illegal profits.

Wen was also convicted 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 getting her drunk, the verdict said.

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

He also had all his personal property seized and was deprived of his political rights for life.

Wen was the highest ranking official to fall in last year's massive crackdown on organized crime in Chongqing. More than 90 local officials were prosecuted and 42 were found guilty of sheltering criminal gangs.