Ex-Dy Governor executed for graft in China

Ex-Dy Governor executed for graft in China
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Beijing, March 8: Sending out a strong signal that corruption would not be tolerated, China on Wednesday executed former deputy governor of East China's Jiangxi province who had been found guilty in a graft case.

Hu Changqing was convicted for misusing his official position and accepting some 658,000 dollars as bribe, state media reported.

Changqing was executed in Nanchang, Jiangxi provincial capital on Wednesday after his death sentence was upheld yesterday by Supreme People's Court, China's apex court, official Xinhua news agency said.

He is the senior-most communist party leader to be executed as China steps up its war against corruption that his somewhat alienated the common man from the ruling party.

Hu's case had hogged international media attention since it showed the extent of corruption at high places. He was convicted on charges of bribery and possession of property from unidentified sources, and received the death sentence on February 15 by the intermediate people's court in Nanghang.

Hu appealed at the provincial higher court and then at the country's apex court, but both upheld the death sentence.

The apex court, which reviewed the case said in its decision: "As a senior government official, Hu should have acted as a model and strictly abided by state laws, instead of abusing his power to make illegal profits."