China executes former corrupt justice official

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): China has executed a former senior justice official on charges of corruption.

Fifty-five-year-old Wen Qiang was executed Wednesday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Xinhua News reported that the former director of the Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau had been convicted of corruption charges involving organized crime.

The Municipal Higher People's Court had on May 21 rejected the appeal of Wen, 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 had been forwarded to the Supreme People's Court and was approved, according to the Municipal Higher People's Court.

Wen 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.

Wen took bribes totaling more than 12 million yuan (1.76 million U.S.dollars) 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. (ANI)