Ex-aide to China official sentenced to death-report

BEIJING, April 19 (Reuters) - A Chinese court has handed down the capital sentence to a former aide to late Vice Premier Huang Ju for taking bribes and abuse of power, a website operated by People's Daily reported on Sunday.

Wang Weigong, who formerly served as secretary to Huang, was sentenced by the Changchun Municipal Intermediate People's Court in Jilin Province on Friday, the report said.

The court said Wang's death sentence should be accompanied by probation of two years because he confessed to some of his crimes and paid back all the bribes. All his personal property was also confiscated.

Wang, who was also a former deputy general manager of Shenergy Group, was convicted of taking bribes worth 12.9 million yuan ($1.9 million) from eight companies or individuals from 1995-2006.

Officials said he abused his power as a secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Communist Party Committee, and as secretary of the State Council, taking bribes in return for preferential treatment.

Huang, who died in 2007 aged 68, was party boss of Shanghai until 2002, before rising to be ranked sixth in the Communist Party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee.

After Wang left his post as Huang's aide, he joined the Shanghai-based power supply company Shenergy Group.

($1=6.832 Yuan)

(Reporting by Ken Wills; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)