Two top officials of the northeastern city of Shenyang involved in a web of corruption which toppled the municipal government, was executed on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Shenyang's former vice mayor Ma Xiangdong and public property chief Guo Jiuci were sentenced to death in October for taking enormous sums in bribes, "bringing heavy economic losses to the nation," Xinhua said.
Their appeals were rejected by the Courts.
Ma was convicted of gambling millions of dollars of public money in Macao casinos and taking bribes.
Guo pocketed more than 2.35 million yuan (US$284,000) in bribes, Xinhua said.
Courts handed former mayor Mu Suixin and two others suspended death sentences in the graft scandal, which brought down 16 Shenyang officials.
Mayor Mu was forced to resign last December over the spectacular scandal linking mobsters to top officials in Shenyang, China's fifth largest city.
Among those alleged to have paid him was city legislator Liu Yong, who was arrested this year on charges of leading an armed gang which committed assault, blackmail and tax evasion.
Mayor Mu received a two-year reprieve on his death sentence because he admitted and expressed regret for his crimes.
China has struck hard on corruption in the past few years. The highest-ranked was Cheng Kejie, former vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, China's parliament.
(China Daily December 20, 2001)
