(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-05 11:41

JINAN -- A former official from east China's Anhui Province went on trial on Wednesday morning at a local city court in Shandong Province on bribery charges.

Court proceedings against He Minxu, former vice governor of Anhui Province, began at 8:30 a.m. at the Intermediate People's Court of Linyi City, Shandong Province.

He, 52 and a native of Yishui, Shandong, held many official posts, including deputy chief of the labor bureau of Zhejiang Province, Party secretary of Lishui Prefecture, also in Zhejiang, and Party boss of Chizhou Prefecture in Anhui Province. He was promoted to the post of deputy governor of Anhui in May 2005.

The Standing Committee of Anhui Provincial People's Congress decided to remove him from the post of deputy governor in August 2006 out of concern that He might have committed crimes.

Public prosecutors on Wednesday alleged that from 1991 to May 2006, during He's tenure in various posts -- as deputy labor bureau chief of Zhejiang, Lishui and Chizhou prefectural Party boss, as well as deputy governor of Anhui -- He solicited bribes totaling 8.41 million yuan (about 1.12 million US dollars) from 27 organizations and individuals.

It was not immediately known how long the trial would last.