A former senior official in Shanxi province pleaded guilty on Thursday to taking bribes worth 44.58 million yuan ($6.8 million). Nie Chunyu, former secretary-general of the Communist Party of China Shanxi Provincial Committee, accepted the bribes from 37 people in return for helping secure promotions for them or favor for their companies, according to the indictment from the Nantong People's Procuratorate in Jiangsu province.

Nie was ousted from the Party in February last year after an internal probe found he accepted bribes and committed adultery.

The court did not announce the verdict immediately after the trial, which was open to the public and journalists.