Sex video official denies bribery charge in second trial

A former official embroiled in a high-profile sex scandal who was handed a 13-year jail sentence for bribery in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality this summer denied bribery charges in a second trial on Friday. Lei Zhengfu, former secretary of Chongqing's Beibei District Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), retracted a confession in court, saying the first judgement was based on unclear facts, lacked evidence and its ruling was incorrect, according to a statement from Chongqing Municipal Higher People's Court. The case will be decided on a later date after hearing opinions and discussion from both sides, it said. Lei's first trial opened on June 28 in Chongqing. The municipality's No.1 Intermediate People's Court said Lei used his position to obtain benefits for others and accepted bribes totaling more than 3.16 million yuan. His activities constituted the crime of bribery, it said. Lei was fined 300,000 yuan (48,554 U.S. dollars) for the crimes, according to the court's ruling. Lei submitted an appeal after consulting with family members and his lawyer on July 13, the court said. In Lei's complaint, he said that he had objections to the court's judgement on its findings of fact, acceptance of evidence, the application of the law and procedural protection. The 55-year-old former official appeared in a sex video that was posted online in November 2012. He was subsequently removed from his post and detained by police on Feb. 1. In May, Lei was expelled from the CPC. Enditem