CINA

Four people have been sentenced to die in a second batch of corruption trials involving 129 defendants. What is more Li Jizhou a former national deputy police chief was put on trial for his role in the biggest corruption case to come to light in the country since 1949. He faces the death penalty for attempting to cover up the smuggling operation, which took place in the southeastern port city of Xiamen. The former vice minister of public security is also linked to another smuggling case in the southern port of Shantou, for which six people have already been executed. The smuggling scandal involves the Yuanhua Group, which is accused of smuggling more than $6 billion dollars worth of cars, luxury goods, oil and cigarettes. The smuggling took place over a four-year period, during the early 1990´s. Company owner Lai Changxing is now being detained in Canada, and is fighting extradition to his home country.