A former senior official in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province is suspected of taking bribes of more than 8 million yuan (US$1 million), Beijing Times reported Thursday, citing initial investigation outcome from the people's procuratorate.

Han Guizhi, former chairwoman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was deprived of all her political positions last year on the charge of accepting huge bribes during her tenure in office in the province.

Han's case was transferred from Heilongjiang to Beijing last month and the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate has launched three-month judicial procedures, which are expected to decide whether to formally file a lawsuit against Han.

Han once acted as deputy head of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, deputy secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and a member of the CPPCC National Committee. She was expelled from the Party in October last year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2005)