Xie Tao, former mayor of Simao City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, was recently sentenced to an eleven-year imprisonment for embezzling public funds and accepting bribes, by the provincial Higher People's Court.
Xie was charged guilty of abusing power to "borrow" 250,000 yuan of public fund for his sister's personal use in 1994. The money was returned half a year later, but free of interest.
He also asked for cash from a company head to buy a computer for his sister in 1997 and asked another local company head to establish a credit card with 60,000 yuan in it for his personal use but the money was taken out by his sister in October, 1999.
Xie's appeal was turned down by the provincial Higher People's Court. In addition to the imprisonment, his illegal gains were also confiscated.
(People's Daily 01/10/2001)
