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2 get death for their roles in melamine milk scandal
Source: Xinhua |
January 23, 2009, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A HEBEI Province court sentenced two men to death and handed a life term to a dairy boss yesterday for their roles in the contaminated-milk scandal that left at least six Chinese infants dead and almost 300,000 others ill.
The pair, along with Tian Wenhua, the former board chairwoman of dairy firm Sanlu Group, were among 21 people sentenced by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court and four other courts in Hebei.
Defendants Zhang Yujun, who produced 770 tons of melamine-laced "protein powder" and sold more than 600 tons to others, and Geng Jinping, who sold more than 900 tons of milk tainted by 434 kilograms of protein powder to Sanlu, both face execution.
Zhang was convicted of endangering public safety, while Geng was convicted of manufacturing and selling toxic food.
Another man, Gao Junjie, received a suspended death sentence for endangering public safety.
A suspended death sentence usually means life imprisonment if the defendant exhibits good behavior.
Protein powder dealers Zhang Yanzhang and Xue Jianzhong were jailed for life for endangering public safety. The remaining 15 defendants were sentenced to two to 15 years in prison.
Sanlu's Tian, who was convicted of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products, was also fined 24.7 million yuan (US$3.6 million).
Three other former Sanlu executives received sentences of five to 15 years in jail.
The Sanlu Group, whose bankruptcy petition was accepted by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court last month, was fined 49.37 million yuan.
The management of Sanlu decided to continue producing baby milk powder containing melamine, an industrial chemical used to cheat protein tests on diluted milk, after the Hebei Provincial Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau confirmed on August 1 last year that samples sent by the company were contaminated, the court heard.
From August 2 to September 12 last year, Sanlu Group produced 904 tons of melamine-tainted baby formula powder and sold 813 tons of the tainted products, earning 47.5 million yuan.
Wei Yantong, legal counsel for Sanlu Group, said after the sentencing that the group has not decided whether to appeal.
Many relatives of the scandal's victims waited outside the court yesterday for the sentences.
Zheng Shuzhen, a grandmother of victim from Henan Province, said she traveled to Shijiazhuang to learn as soon as possible how the defendants were punished.
"Sanlu was a well-known brand, and it was affordable. How could I have imagined that my granddaughter would die after drinking Sanlu milk powder?" she said in tears.
Before their downfall last year, Tian and Sanlu were the pride of Shijiazhuang.
Tian was granted more than 100 honorary titles, and Sanlu was one of the top 500 businesses in China.
Sanlu was the first and biggest dairy producer to sell dairy products laced with melamine.
During the 14-hour trial, Tian pleaded guilty to the charges against her.
She told the court that she learned about the tainted milk from consumers who complained in mid-May and then led a work team to handle the case.
Sources close to Tian said she treated Sanlu almost as her child, perhaps prompting her at the very beginning to attempt to protect the company by avoiding recalls.
The pair, along with Tian Wenhua, the former board chairwoman of dairy firm Sanlu Group, were among 21 people sentenced by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court and four other courts in Hebei.
Defendants Zhang Yujun, who produced 770 tons of melamine-laced "protein powder" and sold more than 600 tons to others, and Geng Jinping, who sold more than 900 tons of milk tainted by 434 kilograms of protein powder to Sanlu, both face execution.
Zhang was convicted of endangering public safety, while Geng was convicted of manufacturing and selling toxic food.
Another man, Gao Junjie, received a suspended death sentence for endangering public safety.
A suspended death sentence usually means life imprisonment if the defendant exhibits good behavior.
Protein powder dealers Zhang Yanzhang and Xue Jianzhong were jailed for life for endangering public safety. The remaining 15 defendants were sentenced to two to 15 years in prison.
Sanlu's Tian, who was convicted of manufacturing and selling fake or substandard products, was also fined 24.7 million yuan (US$3.6 million).
Three other former Sanlu executives received sentences of five to 15 years in jail.
The Sanlu Group, whose bankruptcy petition was accepted by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court last month, was fined 49.37 million yuan.
The management of Sanlu decided to continue producing baby milk powder containing melamine, an industrial chemical used to cheat protein tests on diluted milk, after the Hebei Provincial Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau confirmed on August 1 last year that samples sent by the company were contaminated, the court heard.
From August 2 to September 12 last year, Sanlu Group produced 904 tons of melamine-tainted baby formula powder and sold 813 tons of the tainted products, earning 47.5 million yuan.
Wei Yantong, legal counsel for Sanlu Group, said after the sentencing that the group has not decided whether to appeal.
Many relatives of the scandal's victims waited outside the court yesterday for the sentences.
Zheng Shuzhen, a grandmother of victim from Henan Province, said she traveled to Shijiazhuang to learn as soon as possible how the defendants were punished.
"Sanlu was a well-known brand, and it was affordable. How could I have imagined that my granddaughter would die after drinking Sanlu milk powder?" she said in tears.
Before their downfall last year, Tian and Sanlu were the pride of Shijiazhuang.
Tian was granted more than 100 honorary titles, and Sanlu was one of the top 500 businesses in China.
Sanlu was the first and biggest dairy producer to sell dairy products laced with melamine.
During the 14-hour trial, Tian pleaded guilty to the charges against her.
She told the court that she learned about the tainted milk from consumers who complained in mid-May and then led a work team to handle the case.
Sources close to Tian said she treated Sanlu almost as her child, perhaps prompting her at the very beginning to attempt to protect the company by avoiding recalls.
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