A former senior legislator from east China's Jiangsu Province has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes from companies.

Wang Wulong, former deputy chief of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, the provincial legislature, was found guilty of asking for or accepting bribes totaling 6.83 million yuan (940,000 U.S. dollars) from two companies from early 1995 to June 2006, the Hefei Intermediate People's Court in neighboring Anhui Province heard.

Wang was also deprived of his political rights for life in the verdict issued on Thursday. All his property was confiscated.

It is unclear whether Wang will appeal.

Wang sought benefits for the two companies when serving as mayor of Nanjing, provincial capital of Jiangsu, and as the city's Communist Party chief, top legislator and deputy chief of the provincial legislator.

Relatives of Wang returned 1.3 million yuan (180,000 U.S. dollars) to judicial authorities after the charges were published.