Former official in mine mishap wants leniency

Han Chunxi, a former director of the Xiangfen county public security bureau, stood trial yesterday at the Fangshan district court, a southern area of Beijing where he was arrested for bribery and dereliction of duty.

His arrests followed a deadly landslide in Shanxi province's Xiangfen county in 2008.

In the two-hour court hearing attended by his wife and daughter, along with other relatives from Shanxi, Han pleaded guilty to taking bribes from the owner of the illegal Xinta iron ore dump where the accident took place, in exchange for "special care".