Four facing prison in bribery conspiracy
By Shao Xiaoyi (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-26 06:44

HANGZHOU: Four accomplices in the Yang Xiuzhu conspiracy case were convicted and received sentences of three to 20 years in prison for embezzlement and accepting bribes in a first ruling yesterday at the Hangzhou Inter-mediate People's Court.

Yang, 58, the fugitive former vice-director of the Zhejiang Provincial Construction Bureau, was discovered to have taken bribes of 253.2 million yuan (US$30 million) and fled to the United States on April 20, 2004.

Gao Yunguang, once vice-director of the Wenzhou Urban Planning Bureau and the general manager of Wenzhou Railway Real Estate Development Company, was charged with helping Yang embezzle more than 11 million yuan (US$1.32 million). He was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment and property of 180,000 yuan (US$21,600) was confiscated.

Yang embezzled 11 million yuan (US$1.32 million) in public funds from the Wenzhou Real Railway Real Estate Development Company with the help of Gao and Jin Jianlin, the cashier of the company, to pay a bank loan for Yang's younger brother when Yang served as vice-mayor of Wenzhou and the chairman of the board of the company in December 1996.

Yang used her power to scrap land developing auxiliary fees of the Wenzhou Real Railway Real Estate Development Company when the company was developing a plot of land in Wenzhou.

Then they submitted the valid invoice of the exempted land developing auxiliary fees to the company's account and got a reimbursement for Yang.

Li Xiaoyan, once the accountant for the company, allegedly drew funds from banks 20 times from February to September in 1997 although she knew quite well that the money was embezzled by Yang. And Sha Shaohua, former deputy general manager of the company, handed over the money to Yang or her driver while knowing Yang's purpose.

Gao was confirmed as the principal and Jin, Li as well as Sha were alleged to be accessories in the case, say sources at the court.

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