Two lottery ticket sellers involved in the country's biggest bank theft case are being tried in north China's Hebei Province for transferring stolen money.

Zhang Jianfeng and Liu Tao, who head a lottery center, are being prosecuted at the People's Court of Hanshan District, in Handan City.

Prosecutors said the pair had sold, or helped others sell, 45 million yuan (US$6 million) of lottery tickets to two former bank employees who stole 50.6 million yuan from the bank where they worked.

Prosecutors said Zhang and Liu were guilty because there was evidence showing they knew the money used to buy lottery tickets was stolen.

A court official told yesterday the trial opened on September 28, but no verdict had been reached.

The Criminal Law stipulates that anyone found guilty of helping transfer stolen money can be imprisoned for up to three years with a fine.

The two thieves, Ren Xiaofeng and Ma Xiangjing, worked as vault managers at the Handan branch of the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) in Hebei.

They were found guilty of embezzlement and received death sentences on August 9, at the Handan Intermediate People's Court.

The verdict was upheld by the People's High Court in Hebei on September 19 after the pair lodged an appeal.

In accordance with the law, the death penalty has been submitted to the Supreme People's Court for final review.

(China Daily October 11, 2007)