A former deputy Party secretary of a town in Shanghai was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for embezzlement and taking bribes totaling some 28 million yuan ($4.44 million).

Wu Shundi, 62, embezzled more than 3 million yuan in public assets, accepted 18 million yuan in bribes, and took nearly 7 million yuan from public funds, according to the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Wu took office in the town of Meilong in the municipality's Minhang district in 1994, and was the board chairman and general manager of two town-owned collective enterprises. He resigned his Party post in 2004.

Once cited as a municipal model worker, Wu took in more than 7 million yuan in "returns" from investments of 17.5 million yuan by a real estate developer Dou Changyan, according to court records.

Wu was arrested in 2010 during police investigations of corruption in the real estate business.

The reporter can be reached at zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn