FORMER EAST CHINA PROVINCE VICE-GOVERNOR SENTENCED TO DEATH WITH TWO-YEAR REPRIEVE

a local court of east China's Shandong Province handed down a death penalty with a two-year reprieve to He Minxu, former vice- governor of eastern Anhui Province, for taking huge bribes. The Intermediate People's Court of Linyi City also deprived He of his political rights for life, and ordered confiscation of all He's personal property. The court found that from 1991 to May 2006 during He's tenure in various posts, he accepted and solicited bribes totaling 8.41 million yuan (about US$1.12 million) from 27 organizations and individuals. Court sources said it issued the suspended death sentence because "He had taken the initiative to confess his crimes".