Hefty jail sentence ordered for 'Uncle House'

Cai Bin, a former senior urban management official dubbed "Uncle House", received a jail term of 11 1/2 years for taking 2.75 million yuan ($449,434) in bribes, at the Haizhu District Court in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday.

The court also ruled that the 2.75 million yuan and 600,000 yuan of Cai's property be confiscated, in the verdict of first instance.

Cai, 57, took bribes when he was deputy director of the Panyu Branch of Guangzhou Public Security Bureau and political commissar of the Panyu District Branch of the Guangzhou Urban Management Law Enforcement Bureau from 1993 to 2012, the court said.

He was said to own 22 houses in a Web post on October 8 last year, which was confirmed by the Party disciplinary watchdog of Guangzhou two days later.

Cai said at court he would consult with his lawyer whether to appeal the verdict.