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Death sentence upheld for Zhou Yongkang-linked tycoon convicted of 'mafia' crimes
Liu Han, 48, found guilty in May of 13 charges, including murder, organising casinos, and running a mafia-style gang, while his younger brother also faces death sentence
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 07 August, 2014, 12:14pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 07 August, 2014, 2:49pm
Laura Zhou [email protected]
Liu Han breaks down in tears during his trial earlier this year at which he was sentenced to death. Photo SCMP Pictures
A Sichuan mining tycoon with links to former domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang has lost his appeal after his death sentence was upheld, Hubei’s High Court announced today.
Liu Han, 48, received the sentence in May after Xianning Intermediate People’s Court found him guilty of 13 charges, including murder, organising casinos, running a mafia-style gang and illegally selling firearms.
His younger brother, Liu Wei, and three other people were also sentenced to death, while a further 31 people were also convicted of various crimes, including murder and taking part in mafia-style gangs, after a 21-day trial from March to May.
Liu Han’s Hanlong Group – a conglomerate founded in 1997 with interests ranging from energy to real estate, was fined 300 million yuan (HK$377 million) for crimes including the use of fraudulent information to obtain bank loans.
Hanlong Group and 20 defendants had submitted appeals to Hubei’s High Court early in June, chinanews.com, reported.
The death penalties will now be reviewed by the People’s Supreme Court, in Beijing, following today’s appeal.
The decision to uphold the convictions comes one week after the Communist Party announced an official investigation into Zhou, who was believed to have close links with Liu Han.
Mainland media has reported that Liu has ties with business communities and party officials in Sichuan.
Liu became friends with Zhou Bin, the elder son of Zhou Yongkang, in 2003, sources said. His Hanlong Group bought a tourism company from Zhou Bin for 12 million yuan, mainland media reported.
Hanlong Group also invested in a power company owned by Zhou Bin as part of a hydropower project in Sichuan. The company was sold last year for 1.7 billion yuan, mainland media said.
Zhou Bin, 41, has been detained since December over allegations of bribery, the South China Morning Post previously reported.
