Chinese official sentenced to death for corruption

[Mannix]

Article here.

Originally Posted by CNNMoney

BEIJING (Reuters) -- China on Tuesday sentenced the former head of its food and drugs agency to death for corruption in a surprise judgment as the government sought to contain a wave of scandals over health safety.

Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of the State Food and Drug Administration, was convicted on charges of taking bribes and dereliction of duty, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.
Former head of the State Food and Drug Administration Zheng Xiaoyu, 62, was sentenced to death by the Chinese government Tuesday for accepting bribes and dereliction of duty. CNN's John Vause reports that as melamine is widely used in food, concern about Chinese food exports grows.
The sentence, which was unusually harsh, could still be reduced on appeal. But it reflects the weight China's top leaders are giving to the issues of corruption and food safety as they grapple with the fallout overseas after a series of safety breaches involving toxins in food and other products.

"Zheng was supposed to use the power given to him by the state and the people seriously and honestly, but instead he has ignored their vital interests... by taking the bribes," Xinhua quoted the court as saying.

"This has threatened the safety of people's life and health and has caused an extremely bad social impact."
FDA targets China toothpaste imports

Zheng, 62, a native of the southeastern province of Fujian, headed the watchdog agency from 1998 to 2005 after rising through the ranks of state-owned pharmaceutical companies.

But he was expelled from the ruling Communist Party earlier this year after investigators said he abused approval powers to obtain bribes and win illegal profits from drug companies.

The bribes, including cash and gifts, were worth some 6.5 million yuan ($850,000) from eight companies, and were given either directly or through his wife and son, Xinhua reported.

Under Zheng's watch, dozens died in China from fake or bad drugs and food products. In one of the most notorious cases, in 2004, at least 13 babies died of malnutrition in Anhui province after being fed fake milk powder with no nutritional value.
International spotlight

The safety of China's food has since burst into the international spotlight after wheat gluten and rice protein containing melamine scrap was exported from China and mixed into pet food, causing deaths of cats and dogs in the United States and leading to pet food recalls.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Zheng's sentence was an internal affair but added: "I believe it reflects the Chinese government's determination in fighting corruption."

"China has always attached great importance to the safety and security of consumer goods, food and drugs and sees the health safety of its people as an important task," she told a news briefing.

Zheng was also deprived of his personal property and political rights, Xinhua said, adding that investigators found he lowered standards in renewing drug production licenses, leading to the manufacturing of fake drugs.

A court official contacted by telephone declined to comment.
Chicken feed, tainted pet food linked

The last time China sentenced an official of Zheng's rank to death was in 2000, when Hu Changqing, a vice governor of the eastern Jiangxi province, and Cheng Kejie, a vice head of the National People's Congress, were executed for taking bribes.

Zheng left the watchdog agency long before the latest scandals hit, and no official reports have directly ascribed any deaths to his crimes. But Beijing may be making a political example of Zheng to show citizens and other nations it is serious about food and drug standards.

In a related case, the maker of a fake medical additive that was linked to widespread deaths in Panama is under scrutiny, with local media reporting that families of Chinese patients killed by the ingredient have sued a hospital that gave toxic injections.

The 10 plaintiffs are demanding more than 20 million yuan total compensation after the hospital in the southern city of Guangzhou gave injections of fake Armillarisni A, made by the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a lawyer for the hospital told the Information Times, a Guangzhou paper.

I'm trying to come up with some critical words here, but frankly I wish we had this law in the States a lot of the time. I can think of several CEO's that should be facing more than a few months in a minimum security facility.

I agree that this guys actions are going to aversely affect China's export business - who is going to buy agricultural products that are most likely contaminated with poison?

[Sesshoumaru]

It says that he hasn't been linked to any deaths yet....personally I think execution is a bit extreme for that (unless, of course, it turns out that he was indeed responsible for deaths).

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Personally, as a fellow chinese person (yes, I am Chinese) I am quite relieved something like this has finally happened. The chinese government has been far too slack in disciplining the officials over these kinds of incidents.

In fact, most of china's governmental officials are pretty much corrupted anyway. I just wish they'd have thought about getting a crack down on government officials taking bribery and whatnot a HELLUVA lot earlier.

[Tendronai]

I personally support the Chinese government's decision in this. This guy's actions were responsible for, at the very least, "dozens of deaths". It's not like he was hard done by or desperately needed the money, given his position in the government.

Frankly, it's a good thing to do. If people have been entrusted with this kind of authority and responsibility, then there cannot be someone looking out for their own personal good above the good of the many. This kind of cracking down on corruption could be used in any government. Not necessarily the death sentence for everyone, but there should be more than a brief apology and a shuffle to some other department.

[Gorefiend]

As someone who comes from a country where the running thought on corruption is "Let 'em steal, so long as they act in the people's interests with what's left" I have to applaud China's no-tolerance stance on corruption. I do hope the guy just gets a long, long time in jail (I'm kinda shaky on death penalty) but its good that the nation is stomping hard on that stuff, lest it get out of control. Kinda wish someone implemented that sort of thinking in Ecuador...

That said, think this (the execution, not the crimes) will affect Chinese exports? Think it'll reaffirm importers in the US about feed and pet food?

[Sesshoumaru]

Not for me, because the article explicitly states that the charges of corruption are unrelated to the pet food thing. What I don't get is why people are hailing this as some kind of epihiny for the Chinese gov't. They cracked down on one official, what about all the other crap they have going on in their gov't? They're using that guy as a scapegoat to try to convince people that they're actually doing something (which, unfortuanately, is an action not limited to just the Chinese; pretty much every gov't, including the US does this kind of crap, personally I'm surprised people are still taking this kind of thing seriously).

[Mannix]

Originally Posted by Sesshoumaru

Not for me, because the article explicitly states that the charges of corruption are unrelated to the pet food thing. What I don't get is why people are hailing this as some kind of epihiny for the Chinese gov't. They cracked down on one official, what about all the other crap they have going on in their gov't? They're using that guy as a scapegoat to try to convince people that they're actually doing something (which, unfortuanately, is an action not limited to just the Chinese; pretty much every gov't, including the US does this kind of crap, personally I'm surprised people are still taking this kind of thing seriously).

Well, the hope is that it will put the Fear of God into them. No doubt it's just one guy, but it may mark a change in policy as opposed to just scapegoating. I'd like to see those officials that stole all that Three Gorges relocation funding on the chopping block next. Worst. Communists. Ever.

[Gorefiend]

Well, if this is to be taken as an action forming a precedent, its great. If its merely a scapegoat, I suppose that its good you're pointing that out. It is true that this could not form any sort of precedent, and instead merely distract and attempt to change the perception of Chinese business and government in the world. In any case, I hope it follows through with more convictions of corrupt officials.

[Tendronai]

I really hope that it is a precedent, rather than merely a scapegoat. Killing one corrupt official doesn't solve the problem. Sending a message that any illicit activities will not be tolerated would sure as hell make sure everyone stays in line.

I doubt it will be one of those things which is able to translate country to country, but China's actions here could influence Western countries to also demonstrate that they won't tolerate corruption, albiet with less severe punishments.

[Eltargrim]

While I am glad that they are taking action against corruption, I cannot condone the specific action taken. Lock him in prison and make him scrub floors. Publicize it. If I recall, in many asian cultures shame is worse than death. Hopefully this is one of them.