3 ex-officials prosecuted

Three former vice-ministerial level officials are being prosecuted on bribery charges, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Monday.

The officials are Wei Minzhou, 62, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi People's Congress; Liu Shanqiao, 62, former vice-chairman of the Hubei Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; and Chen Xu, 65, former chief prosecutor of Shanghai Municipal people's procuratorate.

Wei was charged by the Chenzhou People's Procuratorate in Hunan province. The procuratorate sent the case to the Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court. A hearing will be set later.

Liu was accused of bribery by the Nanyang people's procuratorate in Henan province. The procuratorate sent the case to the city's intermediate people's court.

Prosecutors say that Liu abused power that benefited other enterprises or individuals, and accepted large bribes in return.

Chen was charged with accepting bribes by the Nanning people's procuratorate. The SPP said the prosecuting departments notified the suspects of their legal rights and listened carefully to their lawyers' defense statements to protect their human rights.