BEIJING: A Chinese court on Friday sentenced mining baron Liu Han, who has amassed $6 billion wealth, to death along with his brother, Liu Wei, for ordering mafia-style killings."That's the party's job"
Prosecutors told the court Liu Han lived two lives of a philanthropist-businessman and a gang leader. The two were among 36 people accused of organizing, leading and participating in criminal activities including killings.
The tycoon is suspected to have had dealings with Zhou Yongkang, China's powerful former security chief rumoured to be under investigation for corruption. The baron came under the scanner after president Xi Jinping came to power in November 2012.
As authorities cracked down on high-level corruption and ostentatious lifestyles, he was the most obvious target because he showed off his riches routinely.
"With carrots and sticks, Liu Han established absolute authority in the gang," the official Xinhua news agency said. "Blood cleared the path for Liu Han's businesses and surrounded by a cabal of ferocious gangsters, the wealth of Liu snowballed. ... Those who hesitated to kill were expelled." His assets included hundreds of cars, including Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris.
All of which no doubt is forfeit to the party.
Police found 20 guns, 677 bullets, 2,163 shotgun cartridges and over 100 knives from his premises, which is unusual because China's gun laws are extremely strict.
Like most places, gun laws are only for the peasants.