Zhou Liangluo, former head of the Haidian District in Beijing, stood trial with his wife for bribery, confirmed local authorities on Thursday.

The case was heard by the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court.

Zhou, 50, was accused of taking bribes in Renminbi and U.S. dollars valued at 16.7 million yuan (about 2.35 million U.S. dollars) while he walked up the social ladder from executive member of the Chaoyang district committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1998 to head of the Haidian district in 2006.

Among his illegal gains, more than 15 million yuan was concerning land use approval or real estate projects, including 930,000 U.S. dollars and one million yuan from from Liu Jun, CEO of the Beijing Taiyue Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.

Zhou's wife, 46-year-old Lu Xiaodan, was suspected of setting up several companies and receiving more than eight million yuan (about 1.13 million U.S. dollars) during her husband's tenures as a major cadre in the two districts.

"The facts of Zhou's crime were clear, evidence irrefutable... The case has had a very bad effect," said a circular issued by the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Beijing Committee.

Beijing prosecutors have obtained convictions of 102 bureau-head level officials on corruption and bribery charges over the past five years, according to a report on January.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2008)