Society

34 sentenced in Chongqing mob trial; two get death

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-10 23:07

CHONGQING: A Chinese court Wednesday sentenced 34 gang members for violent crime, including murder, amid a large-scale crackdown on organized crime in the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing.

The Chongqing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court sentenced two to death. Six others received death with a two-year reprieve. Some 26 others received jail terms ranging from 10 months to life imprisonment.

Gang leader Gong Gangmo was given life imprisonment after being convicted on nine counts, including running a gang, murder, illegal dealing in and transportation of guns and ammunition, drug trafficking, operation of illegal businesses, bribery, illegal possession of guns and ammunition, operation of a casino, and tolerating others' drug taking, the court ruled.

Another gang leader, Fan Qihang, and its principal member, Wu Chuanjiang, were sentenced to death for similar convictions.

Prosecutors said the defendants were involved in underworld gang activities, like violence and usurious lending, in Chongqing from 2006.

The gang members were arrested for allegedly killing a man on June 3, 2009, in Chongqing.

"They exerted a very negative impact on society and severely undermined economic and social order," the court heard.

Gang leader Gong was the focus of the mob trial, as he was also involved in another trial involving his former lawyer. In that trial, he told prosecutors his former lawyer, Li Zhuang, had encouraged him to give false evidence. Li was sentenced to a year-and-half imprisonment on Tuesday.

After Gong's ruling was announced Wednesday, the public wondered why Gong, also a gang leader, was not sentenced to death, as the other gang leader, Fan, had been.

Chen Yuanping, presiding judge of the trial, told reporters Wednesday that Gong was shown leniency for his evidence against Li, but that alone would not have been enough to prevent a death sentence.

He said Gong had neither masterminded nor personally committed the June 3 murder. Nor he had not given specific instructions to his gang to engage in gun trading, drug trafficking and casino operation.

"Even if he had not given evidence against Li, he should not have been sentenced to death," he said.

During the massive organized crime crackdown beginning in June last year, local authorities arrested 1,176 people and prosecuted 782 involved with 78 criminal gangs.

A total of 87 officials were prosecuted after the crackdown, including 12 high-ranking officials.