BEIJING
A former senior Chinese railway official was handed a suspended death sentence Friday after being found guilty of accepting nearly $8 million in bribes.
State news agency Xinhua reported that Zhang Shuguang, former head of the railway ministry's transportation bureau, had been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, as well as having his political rights stripped and his property confiscated.
The Beijing court gave his deputy Su Shunhu life imprisonment, also depriving him of his political rights and property.
The court found Zhang guilty of receiving bribes worth more than 47 million yuan ($7.68 million) from 14 companies while serving in various positions at the ministry from 2000 to 2011.
Meanwhile Su was accused of taking bribes worth more than 24 million yuan ($3.92 million) from three companies from 2003 to 2011, according to Xinhua.
In July last year, former railway minister Liu Zhijun was also sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after being convicted of abuse of power and bribery.
Discipline inspection agencies of China's Communist Party have been taking a hard public line in the struggle against corruption, punishıng about 182,000 officials nationwide in 2013, 13.3 percent more than in 2012.
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