(NEWSPHOTO)

Zhu Zhigang, former vice finance minister, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes on May 10.

The Xinyang Intermediate People's Court in central Henan Province ruled Zhu abused his position to advantage others financially and took bribes totaling more than 7.44 million yuan ($1.09 million) when he served as assistant finance minister and vice finance minister from January 2000 to March 2008.

Zhu, 60, was director of the Budgetary Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and vice chairman of the NPC Financial and Economic Affairs Committee before he was arrested.