CREDIT TO South China Morning Post.
BY DONNA WESTFALL
49 year old billionaire, Liu Han, was executed Monday, February 9th. Once ranked as China’s 230th richest person, Liu was tried last year, along with 36 others, accused of murder and running the so-called “Mafia-style” gang of loan sharks, gun runners, theft, embezzlement and contract killers. Liu’s public reputation prior to the trial was shaped by his philanthropic work, including a donation to the construction of a local elementary school in Sichuan province. He bore the Olympic torch during the 2008 relay in Beijing and served as deputy chairman of the Sichuan Chamber of Commerce.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s campaign against graft and corruption are targeting the wealthy and especially those with connections to out-of-favor politicians. Liu had business ties to the son of disgraced national security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was stripped of his Communist Party membership. Xi’s government has arrested dozens of wealthy Chinese businesspeople and officials as part of the campaign, and has started tracking the fortunes of the wealthy overseas.
How things can change when political regimes change.
The death penalty in China seemingly has the support of the majority of the public. Their statistics on executions are kept secret. No details of the execution were provided.
