Former railways official stands trial for bribery

A former railways official stood trial in in Beijing on Tuesday over charges of accepting more than 47 million yuan (7.68 million US dollars) in bribes.

Zhang Shuguang, former head of the Railways Ministry's transportation bureau and deputy chief engineer, was charged with bribe taking, according to Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court.

The bribes were taken from 14 companies between 2000 and 2011, when he served in a variety of positions in the ministry, prosecutors said at the trial.

He helped the companies with contracts relating to the sale of trains or parts, technical supply and the bidding of projects, prosecutors said.

Zhang confessed to taking bribes at the trial.

The judgment will be announced at a later date.

Zhang is the second high-ranking railways official charged with bribery in China after former railways minister Liu Zhijun was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery and abuse of power in July.