Sichuan earthquake hero Lei Chunian stands trial for fraud
Lei Chunian, the former Sichuan schoolboy feted as a hero for saving pupils during the 2008 earthquake, stood trail yesterday on accusations he defrauded 21 people.
Lei Chunian, the former Sichuan schoolboy feted as a hero for saving pupils during the 2008 earthquake, stood trail yesterday on accusations he defrauded 21 people - including a girlfriend - out of 463,000 yuan (HK$584,000), mainland media reported.
Family members and other relatives turned up to the hearing bearing honorary certificates given to Lei following the disaster.
Lei, who was 15 at the time, became a national hero for saving the lives of seven classmates. The Chengdu Economic Daily reported at the time that Lei felt the shocks of the approaching earthquake and escaped to the playground, only to find just a few classmates had made it out of the building. He returned to the classroom and led seven classmates to safety before the building collapsed completely.
Lei was named a Teenage Earthquake Rescue Hero and selected as a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
During yesterday's hearing, Lei said "he was incapable of delivering [favours he had promised to friends and others] and that his claims were fraudulent".
The website of China Radio International reported that Lei had promised last year to find his girlfriend a job as a flight attendant with an unidentified airline - for a 100,000 yuan fee - but that he stopped communicating with her after she paid the money .