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An official in East China's Jiangsu province, dubbed "super expensive cigarette director" after his luxurious lifestyle was exposed by netizens late last year, was sentenced to 11 years in jail over the weekend for taking bribes.

The Nanjing Intermediate People's Court also confiscated 1.2 million yuan ($176,000) worth of personal property from Zhou Jiugeng, the former director of the real estate management bureau in Jiangning district in the provincial capital Nanjing.

Zhou was convicted of accepting 1.07 million yuan and HK$110,000 ($14,000) in bribes from contractors, subordinate businesses and officials.

The court said the 49-year-old was given the lenient sentence for confessing to the prosecutors and handing over the accepted bribe money on his own. Zhou was removed from his post on Dec 28 last year for his irresponsible remarks and luxurious lifestyle.

He came under fire late last year when he told reporters on Dec 10 that real estate developers should be punished for selling apartments below cost. The remark sparked a heated debate among the public, who had been complaining about soaring house prices.

Internet users soon uploaded pictures showing Zhou's luxurious lifestyle. In those photos, Zhou was seen wearing a Vacheron Constantin watch, which costs at least 100,000 yuan. There was also a pack of Nanjing 95 Imperial Cigarettes shown in the picture—the cigarettes cost about 150 yuan per pack. Zhou was also seen driving a Cadillac to work.

Zhou's case showed how the Internet was becoming an increasingly important medium to fight corruption, experts said.

Hao Mingjin, vice-minister of supervision and a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee member, said during this year's annual legislative and political advisory sessions the Internet had strengthened his ministry's campaign against corruption.

"We get tips through the Internet and treat them seriously. Some investigations are actually based on information that has come online," he said.

An online survey conducted by People.com.cn this year revealed that more than 90 percent of the respondents said they would choose the Internet to expose wrongdoings like scandals and corruption. In 2005, Zheng Dashui, a procurement official from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, was the first to be exposed via an online tip-off. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison for taking bribes worth nearly 500,000 yuan.

Questions:

1. What was Zhou Jiugeng called after his luxurious lifestyle was exposed by netizens late last year?

2. Why was Zhou given a lenient sentence?

3. What kind of watch was Zhou photographed wearing?

Answers:

1. "Super expensive cigarette director".

2. Because he confessed to the prosecutors and handed over the accepted bribe money on his own.

3. A Vacheron Constantin watch.

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.