Former political adviser stands trial

Chen Baihuai, former deputy head of Hubei province's top political advisory body, went on trial at Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court, Fujian province, on Tuesday, accused of taking bribes and abusing his power.

The Fuzhou city procuratorate said Chen, when serving as a provincial agricultural head and the vice-chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, authorized the transfer of State-owned land for developing real estate projects, which caused the loss of more than 610 million yuan ($99.2 million) for the nation.

Prosecutors said Chen also took advantage of his power to seek benefits for others and accepted more than 2.83 million yuan in bribes.