China has executed a former legislator for committing several crimes, including multiple rapes of 24 school girls and organising gang activities.

Wu Tianxi, 63, former legislator of Henan province was put to death on Thursday after the Supreme People's Court upheld the sentence pronounced by the Intermediate People's Court of Nanyang.

The former legislator had been accused of ordering gangsters to bring, by means of "inveiglement, intimidation and beating", 24 middle school girls, including six aged
between 12 and 14, to his office and hotel rooms for rape during 2005-07.

Wu had also, since 1992, organised a gang to help with illegal transfers of land-use rights, blackmail and illegally drawing public funds, Xinhua news agency reported.

He had been sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court of Nanyang on December 9, 2007. He was also fined 500,000 Yuan (USD 73,206).