Former Heilongjiang provincial legislator indicted for bribery, embezzlement

BEIJING -- Song Xibin, a former senior legislator in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, has been indicted on charges of bribery and misappropriation of public funds, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Thursday.

The prosecution was brought by a procuratorate in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning province, following the conclusion of an investigation into Song's case by the National Commission of Supervision and upon the designation of the SPP.

According to the indictment, Song took advantage of his various posts in Heilongjiang -- including vice-chairman of the standing committee of the provincial people's congress -- to seek unjustified gains for others and illegally accepted huge amounts of money and valuables for himself.

Song was also accused of misappropriating public funds in official name for the purpose of seeking personal gain, the prosecutors added.

Prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to the defense counsel's opinions, the SPP said.