A former postal worker in Fuyang, Anhui province, has had his sentence of 22 months imprisonment upheld for opening and hiding letters addressed to local authorities in the city's Yingshang county, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.

The postal worker, surnamed Bao, opened more than 30 letters and hid more than 40 addressed to official bodies including the county's Party committee, government and discipline inspection committee between 2007 and last year.

According to the court, Bao opened three letters that contained accusations of corruption against a former deputy director of the county's education bureau, surnamed Li, and offered them to him. He also opened another seven letters containing accusations against a former deputy chief of a court, surnamed Wang, and received cash and liquor from him in return for them.

Bao, who worked for China Post, was arrested in July and sentenced to 22 months in prison by the county's court, which was upheld by Fuyang's intermediate court on appeal.