A former senior government official in Shanghai was taken to court yesterday for alleged corruption, embezzlement and then going on the run, a court heard, China Daily reported Friday.

The Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court was told he had hidden for seven years in Cambodia and was extradited back to China in May.

Retired senior official Yang Zhongwei was charged with taking 400,000 yuan (US$48,000) between 1994 and 1995 from the Shanghai Municipal Nuclear Power Office, where he worked as general manager of the State-owned Shanghai Huafa Electric and Nuclear Power Company, a joint venture between China Huaneng Power (Hong Kong) and the office.

"In 1997, when local police captured Zhu Yi, the said accomplice, Yang disappeared on a temporary secondment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia," the prosecutor read out.

Shanghai No 1 Intermediate Prosecutors' Office issued a global "Wanted" notice for Yang in December 2000, and an arrest warrant in July.

On May 15, Yang was caught by police in Cambodia and repatriated to Shanghai three days later.

Huafa was set up to run projects and collect power charges on behalf of Huaneng in East China.

Yang denied all charges, saying he did not even know he was wanted when he was caught.

Source: China Daily