Wang Chang'an, former president of the Xi'an Daily newspaper, was sentenced on Thursday to seven years in prison for taking bribes.

The Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, found that Wang, who was also deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Xi'an Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, signed a land transfer agreement with the general manager, surnamed Zuo, of the labor service company attached to the Xi'an Real Estate Development Corp. in 1997.

Wang signed the agreement on behalf of the Xi'an Daily.

On Aug. 31, 1997, Zuo sent 150,000 yuan (US$18,137) to Wang via his younger brother, Wang Changlai, to express his gratitude.

Later, Wang Chang'an gave the 150,000 yuan to his brother to deposit in a bank.

All the money had been confiscated by order of the court.

Wang Changlai was sentenced to three years in jail with a three-year reprieve.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2003)