Sang Yuechun, 43, a former deputy to the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, was sentenced to death at the first trial for misappropriating huge public funds and property and defrauding banks by a local court in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, on Tuesday.

The Jilin City Intermediate People's Court also convicted Sang on charges of illegal possession of guns and ammunition, organizing and leading criminal organizations and rape. The court deprived Sang of his political rights for life and confiscated all his personal property.

The court ruled that while sheltering himself with his NPC deputy status, Sang misappropriated 130 million yuan (US$15.71 million) of public funds and property and colluded with others in defrauding banks of loans, totaling more than 34 million yuan (US$4.11 million) from 1993 to 2002 when serving as the general manager of the Changchun Jigang Industrial and Trade Corp. and president of the Changchun Jigang Group Company.

Sang was arrested at the end of 2002.

The court also sentenced 16 others involved to jail terms ranging from one year to 15 years.

Sang's elder sister Sang Yueping was sentenced to 13 years in jail for participating in criminal organizations and committing related crimes, and his elder brother Sang Yuedong was sentenced to 15 years in jail for contract fraud and participating in criminal organization activities.

Sang Yuechun and his sister and brother said they would appeal the decisions to a higher court.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2005)