Former senior Henan official stands trial for bribery

NANJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Gan Rongkun, a former senior official in central China's Henan Province, stood trial for bribery on Thursday at the Intermediate People's Court of Changzhou City in Jiangsu Province.

Gan, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Henan Provincial Committee and former secretary of the political and legal affairs commission of the provincial Party committee, was accused of taking advantage of his various positions to help others in contracting construction projects, business operations and the handling of cases. In return, he illegally accepted money and gifts worth more than 166 million yuan (about 23.78 million U.S. dollars).

During the trial, prosecutors presented their evidence, which was examined by the defendant and his lawyers.

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

Gan's sentence will be announced at a later date.