(China Daily, Sep 15, 2006) --The first hearing of a lawsuit targeting the 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) in questionable income of Niu Xinmin, the former president of the country's largest coking coal firm, has begun.
The case is taking place in Shuozhou Intermediate People's Court in North China's Shanxi Province.

Niu, the 54-year-old former boss of the Taiyuan-based Shanxi Coking Coal Group, is facing seven charges.

They include embezzling 43,000 yuan (US$5,300) of public funds, taking 3.07 million yuan (US$378,500) in bribes and possessing 6.27 million yuan (US$773,100) worth of private property from an unidentified source.

The Shuozhou People's Procuratorate Bureau said Niu got the cash by illegally selling coke during his term as vice-manager of the Shanxi Coking Coal Transportation Company and the president of Shanxi Coking Coal Group. He was detained in December 2005.

Local prosecutors said they have sufficient evidence to sue Niu. But Niu has denied all the charges.

He claimed his wealth was inherited from his mother and also came from bonuses given by the government and the companies he served.

Niu's alleged illegal income, if the figures are correct, is said to be the highest ever recorded in the province.

The case has drawn a lot of attention from the media. People believe it has led, or will lead, to the downfall of several other high-ranking officials at Niu's firm and related bureaux within the Ministry of Commerce, reported the China Youth Daily.

Source:China Daily
tag:China energy coal