Four officials from Shichahai housing management center have been jailed after embezzling 500,000 yuan from a hutong relocation project.

The Xicheng district court sentenced Wang Zhenchi, vice-head of the center, to 12 years in prison for taking more than 200,000 yuan in bribes and embezzling 140,000 yuan, the Mirror Evening News reported.

Liu Yuhong, an official in charge of property development, an accountant surnamed Bo and a cashier surnamed Chen at the center received jail sentences of between six months and 10 years, the newspaper said.