Death reprieve for hirer of assassin team

A PROPERTY developer in southwest China's Chongqing was sentenced to death for hiring assassins to kill the son of a family who refused illegal relocation requests, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Developer Xiang Shiquan was sentenced to death by a Chongqing court on Monday.

Xiang started to evict residents illegally from a residential area in the city's Wan'an District at the end of 2004 without government approval, China Youth Daily reported.

Two families, including the couple, Cui Ying'an and Qin Wanlan, refused to accept the relocation plan offered by Xiang's company.

In August 2007, the court heard, Xiang asked a friend with a criminal record, Ran Qifu, to find thugs to teach Cui's son a lesson, promising to pay them. Ran consulted Tu Qibing, and Tu later asked Shi Guanghui and Wang Yihua to beat up the couple's only son, Cui Jun, 31. The duo stabbed him repeatedly on September 16. Cui died in hospital.

In September 26, 2008 Wang was jailed for life and Tu was sentenced to 12 years. Shi is still at large.

Ran received a two-year death reprieve, and both he and Xiang were ordered to pay compensation of more than 170,000 yuan (US$24,890) to Cui's family members.

Email Story    Printable View    Blog Story    Copy Headline/URL