(CNSPHOTO)

Huang Guangyu, once the richest people on the Chinese mainland, appeared in court on April 22 on charges of illegal business dealings, insider trading and bribery.

In an open trial at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, Huang, former chairman of Hong Kong-listed electronics retailer giant Gome, was charged with illegally trading HK$822 million ($106) from September to November 2007.

Prosecutors also accused Huang of insider trading of stocks of a Shenzhen-listed company, worth more than 1.415 billion yuan ($207 million), from April to September 2007 and bribing five government officials with 4.56 million yuan ($667,643) in cash and properties from 2006 to 2008 in exchange for illegal benefits for two of his companies.

Huang, 41, founded Gome in Beijing in 1986. He topped the Hurun China Rich List in 2004, 2005 and 2008.