Zheng Yuzhuo, a former senior legislator in northeast China's Liaoning Province, stood trial Thursday on charges of accepting bribes and election fraud.
Zheng was formerly deputy head of the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee.
The people's procuratorate of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province alleged that Zheng bribed deputies to the provincial people's congress and relevant officials with Apple iPhone 4S handsets in order to gain votes for the position from October 2012 to January 2013.
Zheng took advantage of his position as director of the provincial finance department to ask his subordinates to buy votes during the period, prosecutors alleged, adding that some of his subordinates offered bribes, including U.S. currency, mobile phones and Apple tablets.
The prosecutors said a total of 76 deputies to the provincial people's congress were involved in accepting bribes.
Zheng was also indicted for taking advantage of his position as director of the finance department to offer assistance in financial subsidiaries and fund appropriation to the finance bureau of Tieling City between 2011 and 2012.
Prosecutors alleged that Zheng instructed his subordinates to ask for 30 Apple iPhone 4S phones, worth about 156,000 yuan (about 22,700 U.S. dollars), in December 2012.
Zheng made a final statement to the court in which he pled guilty and expressed remorse.
The court has adjourned to decide the verdict.
