Yang Duoming, former vice-president of the higher people's court of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, appeared in court yesterday to face corruption charges.

He is accused of accepting 110,000 yuan (US$13,300) in 2000 to change an original sentence given to Wu Changkao, former head of Yulin City's public security bureau, who was accused of taking bribes and appropriating state assets

The indictment alleged that Yang took 45,000 yuan (US$5,400) from people involved in two economic disputes in 2000 and 2001, and 30,000 yuan (US$3,600) from a judge of his court named Zhou in the second half of 2001 to help him obtain a higher post.

The 54-year-old Yang was appointed vice-president of Guangxi Regional Higher People's Court in 1996 and was arrested on February 5 this year.

His case is being heard by Liuzhou Railway Transport Procuratorate in Liuzhou, a city in central Guangxi.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2005)