The trial of a former senior official with the Shanghai housing authority concluded yesterday after prosecutors told the court the defendant was involved in the city's pension fund scandal that toppled ex-Party Secretary Chen Liangyu.
Prosecutors told Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court that Yin Guoyuan, former deputy director of the Shanghai Housing, Land and Resources Administration, abused his authority to lease 35.8 hectares of land to Chen Liangjun, Chen Liangyu's younger brother, without collecting 34.41 million yuan in fees owed to the government, the 21st Century Business Herald reported today.
Chen Liangjun later sold the land illegally and earned 118 million yuan in profit, the report said.
Chen Liangyu was later found guilty of dereliction of duty, abuse of power and other charges. He was sentenced to 18 years in jail on April 11.
The Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Prosecutors' Office also told the court that Yin accepted bribes of more than 36.7 million yuan (US$5.05 million). He also couldn't explain how personal assets worth 8.12 million yuan and US$40,000 were earned, according to Xinhua news agency.
Prosecutors charged Yin with misuse of authority and storing ammunition illegally. Chen Wei, Yin's wife, has also been charged with accepting bribes, the report said.
Prosecutors also told the court that Yin had 52 bullets at his home that he had kept after serving in the army.
The court has not announced a verdict in Yin's case.
Yin, 64, a Jiangsu Province native, was the administration's deputy director for 10 years after he left the army.
He became director of the Shanghai Land Society in 2005 after he retired.
Prosecutors said that from 2000 to 2004 Yin made use of his authority to profit from land use and relocation permits. Prosecutors said Yin demanded and accepted bribes with and without his wife from 2002 to 2006.
The couple also allegedly bought property at below market value from developers.
Yin's wife was said to be involved in 8.63 million of the bribes.
(Shanghai Daily April 24, 2008)