Senior Chinese banker gets suspended death sentance

The former president of state-owned Bank of China's Hong Kong branch was given a suspended death sentence Friday in a major embezzlement case, state media reported.

Liu Jinbao, who was also a deputy chairman of the Bank of China, was sentenced to death but given a two-year reprieve at the Intermediate People's Court in the northeastern Chinese city of Changchun, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Such suspended death sentences in China are usually commuted to life in prison.

He was convicted of embezzling 14.3 million yuan (US$1.8 million, Ђ1.4 million) with others, plus another 7.5 million yuan (US$930,000, Ђ750,000) for himself, the report said. It said Liu also was convicted of taking 1.4 million yuan (US$170,000, Ђ140,000) in bribes, reports the AP.