- Former airport boss was accused of graft, bribery
MICHAEL WINES AND MARK MCDONALD
Beijing, Aug. 7: China executed the former head of a huge state-owned airport holding company today, six months after he was convicted on bribery and embezzlement charges involving more than $14.6 million.
The executive, Li Peiying, had been the chairman and general manager of Capital Airports Holding Company, a $14.6 billion conglomerate that runs 30 airports in nine Chinese provinces, including Beijing’s much-acclaimed new international airport.
China’s state-run news agency, Xinhua, said that Li was executed in Jinan, a Yellow river city in eastern China’s Shandong province. The province’s Higher People’s Court rejected an appeal in July.
At his peak, Li, 60, supervised a 38,000-employee behemoth that not only served 30 per cent of the nation’s air passenger traffic, but had also launched forays into insurance, hotels, real estate and tourism.
Last February a court in Jinan ruled that he had embezzled $12.1 million from the company over a three-year period ending in 2000, and had accepted an additional $3.9 million in bribes during an eight-year period starting in 1995.
Most of the bribes received by Li — reportedly for loans or loan guarantees — came from Qin Hui, owner of the popular Paradise nightclub located in the luxury Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing, according to the Shanghai Daily. The court said that Li’s actions had caused the nation severe financial losses.
There are many things done in China with which I do not agree.
But I agree wholeheartedly the above judicial pronunciation.
I only wish the above was also applicable to our politicians in India.
India would have been a much better place with people like Sukhram, Lalu Yadav, Zaffer Sharieff and others hanging on the gallows for their crimes instead of roaming about freely and setting a bad example for others to follow.
It is worth noting that he was executed within six months of conviction.
They did not allow the case to drag on and on and on until there was a change in government, as is our practise.
I am sure the Chinese bureaucrat will think twice before committing similar crimes.
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