Hu Qineng, an official convicted in what was called...

Hu Qineng, an official convicted in what was called the biggest corruption case in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, was executed for embezzlement. Qineng was executed by lethal injection after the Supreme People's Court of China upheld a lower court's ruling finding him guilty of embezzling 11.91 million yuan (about 1.44 million US dollars) of public funds. The case was considered the largest corruption scandal in Chongqing since the founding of communist-ruled China in 1949, according to Xinhua News Agency. Hu used his power and position as head of the government agency that managed the city's import of agricultural fertilisers to pocket the money, Xinhua said. During his tenure as general manager of Chongqing Municipal Corporation for Agricultural Means of Production from 1996 to 1999, Hu repeatedly resold imported chemical fertilizers at a higher price, Xinhua said. He also sold quotas for imported chemical fertilizers meant for Chongqing to other cities, making a profit on the back of the corporation, the report said. Hu had earlier been sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court and the Higher People's Court of Chongqing Municipality.