CHINA. FORMER LEGISLATOR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, FRAUD

April 26, 2005: Sang Yuechun, a former Chinese legislator, was sentenced to death for rape, embezzling public funds, defrauding banks, possessing guns and leading criminal gangs, the government said.
Sang, 43, was also accused of attempting to use his status as a deputy to the National People's Congress - China's legislature - to protect himself from prosecution, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Jilin City Intermediate People's Court in northeastern China also convicted 16 others in the same case including Sang's elder sister and elder brother. His sister, Sang Yueping, was sentenced to 13 years in jail and his brother, Sang Yuedong, was sentenced to 15 years - both for "participating in criminal organizations".
The other defendants were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one year to 15 years. The court ruled that Sang Yuechun took 130 million yuan ($15.7 million) in public funds and property and conspired with others to defraud banks of loans totaling more than 34 million yuan. The crimes occurred between 1993 and 2002, when Sang was general manager of the Changchun Jigang Industrial and Trade Corp. and president of the Changchun Jigang Group Company. He was arrested in late 2002. (Sources: Dow Jones International News, 26/04/2005)