The former mayor of Chifeng City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xu Guoyuan, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve Friday for taking bribes and holding a huge amount of property with unidentified sources.

His wife Li Minjie was sentenced three years in jail with a five-year reprieve, for taking bribes and helping conceal some of the money, by the Intermediate People's Court of Baotao City.

Xu, 53, had been found to accept 12.58 million yuan (1.84 million U.S. dollars) between 2002 and 2007, while Li had taken 170,000 yuan, according to the court.

Xu took the bribes mostly from managers of real estate companies and granted them preferential treatment in building residential compounds and a reservoir as well finding jobs for their relatives.

He also allowed a mining boss surnamed Wang in 2004 to purchase a lead smelting factory with favorable environment protection and tax policies.

Meanwhile, the family failed to account for another 14.1 million yuan worth of property.

The court also confiscated all Xu's property and 100,000 yuan from Li. It also fined Li 100,000 yuan.

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2009)