Official accused of taking $32m in bribes

A former senior energy official accused of taking nearly 212 million yuan ($32.6 million) in bribes stood trial in an open court on Monday.

Wei Pengyuan, former deputy director of the National Energy Administration's Coal Department, was tried on charges of taking bribes and being unable to account for the source of huge assets disproportionate to his income, according to a court statement.

He appeared at Baoding Intermediate People's Court in Hebei province.