Ex-security official will face slew of graft charges today in Chongqing

The former No 2 figure in the Chongqing Public Security Bureau will stand trial today on charges of accepting bribes totalling more than 18 million yuan (HK$20.5 million) as part of the city's massive crackdown on organised crime.

Wen Qiang, 55, also the former head of the municipality's Justice Bureau, would face more than 110 bribery charges at the No 5 Intermediate People's Court, The Beijing News reported. He will be the highest-ranking Communist Party cadre in Chongqing to stand trial so far.

Local media have reported that Wen accumulated more than 100 million yuan in bribes over the years.

In an indictment of more than 50 pages, Wen will also be accused of rape, covering up crimes and being unable to explain the sources of his assets. Prosecutors say Wen abused his power by offering benefits to others and accepting bribes of 10 million yuan personally and a further 8 million yuan with his wife, Zhou Xiaoya, while he served in administrative posts with the party and Chongqing police.

Zhou is also standing trial for taking bribes with her husband. She provided evidence linking Wen with bribery after police showed her a video of her husband visiting underage prostitutes, reports say.

The Guangzhou-based Information Times quoted an employee at the procuratorate, whom it did not identify, as saying Wen could be sentenced to death. Wen had disclosed others' crimes to receive a lighter sentence, the report said.