The Jianyang Municipal People's Court of east China's Fujian province sentenced former deputy mayor Ye Shusheng of Wuyishan City to 5.5 years in prison for bribery crime, the court source said.

Ye Shusheng, aged 58, acted as deputy mayor of Wuyishan city of Fujian Province and other leading posts between 1995 and 2004.

The court investigation showed that Ye illegally accepted 79,900 yuan (US$9,626) in aiding others acquiring construction contracts by abusing his power, who took charge of land development, urban construction and railway projects during this period.

The court sentenced Ye to five years and six months in prison and confiscated 25,000 yuan (US$3,012) of his property at the first trial of the court in consideration of his attitude of pleading guilty.

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2005)