Former Vice-Governor of northeast China's Liaoning Province Liu Ketian was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday for taking bribes, the China Business Morning View reported.

The verdict was made by Liaoning High People's Court, which rejected Liu's appeal and upheld the verdict reached by Anshan Intermediate People's Court made in early February.

The high court ruled that Liu took advantage of his post and received bribes of more than 1.3 million yuan (US$157,000), reported the newspaper which is based in Liaoning's capital Shenyang.

Liu's attorney Song Shaofu said he would appeal to a higher court on behalf of his client, according to the paper.

Liu was born in 1951 in Shenyang and became Shenyang's vice-mayor in August, 1990. In February 1995, he was promoted to the post of vice-governor.

The Central Discipline Inspection Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a notice in November 2003, concerning Liu's violations of CPC discipline and State laws.

In another incident, Li Tianyi, vice-major of Quanzhou, east China's Fujian Province, was removed from office on Friday for alleged involvement in economic crimes, the China News Service said.

In recent years, a number of high level officials have been found guilty of various wrongdoings and received punishment as the central government strengthens the fight against corruption. The country is also taking measures to prevent corrupt officials from fleeing abroad.

(China Daily April 4, 2005)