CHINA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING 14 WITH POISONOUS ALCOHOL

fifteen people were convicted by a local court in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, for producing and selling fake liquor that left 14 people dead.
The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Cheng Caiming, 26, a native of Guangning of Guangdong Province, to death for selling poisonous food. All his personal property was confiscated. Ten others involved in production and sale of fake liquor made from poisonous industrial formaldehyde, were sentenced from 18 months to 13 years imprisonment.
According to the court verdict, 62 plaintiffs including the victims and their relatives got compensation ranging from 3, 000 yuan to 190,000 yuan (some 22,900 US dollars) each. The court found that Cheng Caiming registered the Juhe Chemicals Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou in January, 2001.
Cheng bought 15 barrels of industrial alcohol from a Guangzhou-based chemical firm in 2004. Cheng tore off the tags from the barrels and disguised them as drinkable alcohol and sold them to Yi Xinling. Yi later sold the alcohol to four owners of illegal breweries.
Fourteen people were killed after drinking liquor produced by the four illegal wine producers, and 41 others were injured, 10 seriously.