A former communication official was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve Wednesday for taking bribes and embezzling state-owned assets in Beijing.

Bi Yuxi, the former deputy director of Beijing Communication Bureau, was tried by the No. 1 Moderate Court of the municipality.

The court ruled that Bi accepted bribes of more than 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars) and an embezzlement of 3 million yuan (361,000 US dollars) from 1993 to 2004, while deputy director of the Beijing Communication Bureau and board chairman of Beijing Shoufa Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.

Bi, 62, had all his property confiscated and was fined an additional 30,000 yuan (3,614 US dollars).