Hearing date finally set for Rio Tinto employees
By Michael Perry |
March 18, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE trial of four Rio Tinto staff charged with commercial spying in China will begin next Monday in a Shanghai court, Australia's Foreign Affairs Department said yesterday.
The employees of the Anglo-Australian miner, including Australian citizen Stern Hu, have been in police custody in Shanghai since last July over accusations of illegally obtaining commercial secrets.
The latest news did not hit Rio's shares, which rose 1.25 percent in London.
"Mr Hu and the other defendants will be tried by the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, commencing on Monday, March 22," said Australia's Foreign Affairs Department, after being advised of the hearing date by court officials.
The trial will be open to hear bribery charges, but will then be closed to deal with infringement of commercial secrets charges, the department said in a statement.
"Australian officials have asked for this to be reconsidered. We are pleased that this case is now moving to trial," it said.
Rio Tinto said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters that "it hopes for a transparent and expeditious process for its employees."
Hu was formally arrested on August 11 with three Chinese Rio executives.
China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with business worth US$53 billion last year.
Rio in February named a fluent Mandarin speaker, Ian Bauert, to head its China business. Bauert, a 30-year Rio Tinto veteran who opened the company's first China office 25 years ago, is specifically charged with improving rocky relations.
A lawyer for Rio employee Ge Minqiang confirmed the trial date, but said he did not know how long it would last.
"It's not up to my client to say whether he's guilty or not. He can only testify to the facts. It's up to the court to say if he's guilty or not," said Zhai Jian.
Tao Wuping, lawyer for co-accused Liu Caikui, said he had not received court notification.
Asked how his client would plead, Tao said: "I'm not going to go into all that.
"Wait for the trial."
The employees of the Anglo-Australian miner, including Australian citizen Stern Hu, have been in police custody in Shanghai since last July over accusations of illegally obtaining commercial secrets.
The latest news did not hit Rio's shares, which rose 1.25 percent in London.
"Mr Hu and the other defendants will be tried by the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, commencing on Monday, March 22," said Australia's Foreign Affairs Department, after being advised of the hearing date by court officials.
The trial will be open to hear bribery charges, but will then be closed to deal with infringement of commercial secrets charges, the department said in a statement.
"Australian officials have asked for this to be reconsidered. We are pleased that this case is now moving to trial," it said.
Rio Tinto said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters that "it hopes for a transparent and expeditious process for its employees."
Hu was formally arrested on August 11 with three Chinese Rio executives.
China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with business worth US$53 billion last year.
Rio in February named a fluent Mandarin speaker, Ian Bauert, to head its China business. Bauert, a 30-year Rio Tinto veteran who opened the company's first China office 25 years ago, is specifically charged with improving rocky relations.
A lawyer for Rio employee Ge Minqiang confirmed the trial date, but said he did not know how long it would last.
"It's not up to my client to say whether he's guilty or not. He can only testify to the facts. It's up to the court to say if he's guilty or not," said Zhai Jian.
Tao Wuping, lawyer for co-accused Liu Caikui, said he had not received court notification.
Asked how his client would plead, Tao said: "I'm not going to go into all that.
"Wait for the trial."
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