[JURIST] Chinese media reported Friday that the Shanghai Municipal First Intermediate People's Court sentenced a former city official to death [JURIST news archive] after being convicted of multiple corruption charges on Thursday, though the sentence will not be imposed for another two years. Former deputy director of the Shanghai Housing, Land and Resources Administration Bureau [official website, English version] Yin Guoguan was suspected of using city pension funds to make loans for real estate purchases. The court sentenced him to death for accepting bribes and for possession of ammunition, six years in prison for abuse of authority, and four years in prison for possessing property of unknown origin. The death sentence could eventually be reduced to a sentence of life in prison. AP has more. Xinhua has local coverage, in Chinese.

China has taken a hard line on corruption in recent years, punishing several officials with lengthy prison terms or execution [JURIST report]. In January, the Chinese government issued new anti-corruption rules [JURIST report] for public officials. In December 2007, a former prosecutor received a suspended death sentence [JURIST report] after being convicted of accepting bribes and embezzling money. In September 2007, a former official of the Agricultural Bank of China was executed [JURIST report] for taking bribes and embezzling nearly $2 million. In July 2007, the former commissioner of China's State Food and Drug Administration was executed for accepting $850,000 in bribes [JURIST report].