A former capital airport's holding company chief was given a death sentence for bribery and embezzlement totaling more than 100 million yuan (14.6 million US dollars), a court in east China's Shandong Province said after the sentencing Tuesday.

Li Peiying, former board chairman and general manager of Capital Airports Holding Company (CAH), was given the sentence by the Jinan Intermediate People's Court.

Li, 59, was found guilty of seeking or accepting bribes totaling 26.61 million yuan while he was in office from 1995 to 2003. He abused his power to provide guarantees for others to get bank loans, the court heard.

Li also misappropriated 82.5 million yuan for personal use from 2000 to 2003, according to the court.

The court said the amounts involved were extraordinary and Li's crimes had inflicted great economic loss on the country.

It also ordered the confiscation of all his personal property and deprived him of political rights for life.

CAH, under the Civil Aviation Administration of China, is a large state-owned enterprise, according to the company's official website.

It was founded in December 2002 through the merger of Beijing Capital Airport Holding Co., Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd., Tianjin Binhai International Airport and three other companies. It has 30 airports in nine provinces and more than 38,000 staff.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2009)