A former senior transport official of Hubei Province in central China was brought to court Tuesday for an alleged abuse of power that incurred multi-billion yuan losses to the country.

Xiong Guoxian, 69, former vice director of the provincial transport administration, was accused of taking advantage of his position to help a Malaysian company acquire the right to charge tolls on a local key highway. The 25-year agreement was made at an extremely low price.

Xiong faked documents to persuade his administration to sell the road rights to the company with 580 million yuan (US$84.9 million) in 2001, 314 million yuan lower than the real value, according to documents presented by the local prosecutor to the Wuhan Municipal Intermediate People's Court.

Xiong retired from his post in 2003.

The prosecutor did not press bribery charges against Xiong.

As of Thursday, the court had not made judgement.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2008)