A former publicity official in north China's Shanxi Province stood trial on Friday for taking 2.36 million yuan (US$323,084) in bribes and misappropriating more than 400,000 yuan.

Wang Yuexi, 53, took the bribes between 2001 to 2006 when he served as the party secretary of the Huozhou City Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the head of the publicity department of Linfen City, said Yangquan City Intermediate People's Court.

It said he took advantage of his post to offer subordinates promotions or to help people land good jobs in exchange for money.

He had since returned 2.58 million yuan and produced important clues that investigators didn't have. He also disclosed some other corrupted officials, which may lead to a lighter sentence, the court said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)