Former provincial legislator stands trial for accepting bribes

NANJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Xinqi, a former senior legislator of east China's Shandong Province, on Thursday stood trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, charged with accepting bribes.

The Nanjing Municipal People's Procuratorate charged Zhang, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Shandong Provincial People's Congress, with taking advantage of his positions from 2001 to 2019 to seek gains for others in enterprise operations, project development and contracting, qualification approvals and job adjustment.

In return, Zhang accepted money and goods worth more than 155 million yuan (about 23 million U.S. dollars) between 2006 and 2021. Public prosecutors said that Zhang should be held criminally responsible.

Previously, Zhang served as mayor of Qingdao City, secretary of the Weifang municipal committee of the Communist Party of China, and mayor of Weifang City.

During the trial attended by more than 20 people, prosecutors presented evidence that was in turn examined by the defendant and his lawyers. Both sides gave their own complete accounts of events.

In his final statement, Zhang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

The court will reconvene at a later date to announce its verdict.