A Beijing court handed down the sentence after finding Chen Tonghai guilty of graft amounting to 195.7 million yuan (28.8 million dollars) when he served in top Sinopec ranks from 1999 to 2007, the People's Daily newspaper said.

Chen, 60, was also convicted of illegally appropriating funds from projects and land transfers during those years when he served as assistant general manager, then general manager and chairman of the board of Sinopec, it said.

However, he was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, which means the punishment will be commuted to life in prison if he commits no further crime while in jail.

"Chen Tonghai received large amounts of bribes, the circumstances of his crimes were very serious and warrant the death penalty," said the report, citing the verdict.

But the court issued the two-year reprieve because Chen expressed remorse and provided information on the crimes of other people linked to the case, it said.

Chen also turned over to the state all of his gains from the graft, it added.

Officials at the Beijing intermediate court refused to comment on the case when contacted by AFP.

In remarks carried by state-run Xinhua news agency, a court official said Chen's sentence should be a warning for other corrupt people in government-linked companies.

"The criminal case of Chen Tonghai is one that concerns one of the highest and most powerful people, involving one of the largest sums," the unnamed official said.

"The influence of the case is deep, wide and shocking... and should be a profound warning to the leaders of state-owned enterprises."

According to earlier state press reports, Chen was placed under investigation in May 2007, then formally detained at Beijing airport while attempting to flee the country in June of that year.

According to the state-run Caijing Magazine, Chen's father was Chen Weida, an influential Communist Party official and a former revolutionary.

China has struggled in recent years to rein in official corruption amid recurring revelations of graft in government ranks.

Chinese President Hu Jintao has repeatedly warned that corruption is one of the greatest threats to the legitimacy of the Communist Party's rule.

Sinopec is a subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation, the largest oil refiner in Asia, and is China's second-largest oil company after PetroChina.

The state-controlled firm has listings on the Shanghai, Hong Kong and London stock exchanges.

In June, Sinopec agreed to purchase oil exploration firm Addax Petroleum for 7.2 billion dollars in the largest ever Chinese offshore acquisition, part of Chinese oil firms' aggressive overseas expansion in recent months.

Sinopec refused to comment to AFP on the sentence handed down against Chen.

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