SHENZHEN, April 28 -- Si Xianmin, former general manager of China Southern Airlines, a major airline company in China, was sentenced to ten years and a half in prison on Friday at a court in south China's Shenzhen for accepting bribes.

Prosecutors accused Si of taking advantage of his positions to seek benefits for others and of accepting money and assets worth more than 7.89 million yuan (nearly 1.14 million U.S. dollars) between 2005 and 2014.

The case was tried at the Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province.

According to the court, Si shall be given a lighter punishment according to the law as he pled guilty to his crimes, expressed remorse during the trial, and had confessed some of his bribery before public prosecution.