Chinese prisoner is led to execution by soldiers

CHINA: TWO EXECUTED OVER TAINTED MILK SCANDAL

November 24, 2009: two people were executed in China for their involvement in the country's contaminated milk scandal, in which at least six infants died and more than 300,000 became ill.
Zhang Yujun was executed for the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means, and Geng Jinping was put to death after being convicted of producing and selling toxic food, the Shijiazhuang Municipal Intermediate People's Court said in a statement.
Zhang was found guilty of producing more than 770 tonnes and selling more than 600 tonnes of melamine-laced protein powder from July 2007 to August 2008.
Geng was convicted of selling more than 900 tonnes of milk tainted with 434 kg of protein powder to the now-defunct Sanlu Group, which was at the heart of the scandal, from October 2007 to August 2008.
The two lodged appeals after the Shijiazhuang Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced them to death on Jan. 21, and the Hebei Provincial Higher People's Court upheld the convictions on March 26.
The death sentences and the executions were approved by the Supreme People's Court, the Shijiazhuang court statement said.
The industrial chemical melamine had been added to milk to make it appear higher in protein content. (Sources: Chinaview.cn, 24/11/2009)