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Mark O'Neill

Millionaire tycoon Yang Bin has hired one of China's top criminal lawyers to defend him against charges of fraud, bribery and false accounting.

Tian Wenchang, 56, is chairman of the All-China Lawyers Association's criminal law committee. He heads his own firm in Beijing and has taken on various high-profile cases.

Mr Tian is leading a team of six lawyers that will represent Yang in Shenyang Intermediate Court. The case is due to start tomorrow or on Thursday and Yang faces a life sentence if found guilty.

He became known internationally last September when North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appointed him as chief executive of a special administrative region in Shiniuju, which borders the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong.

However, Mr Kim had not informed China of his intentions to select Yang.

Mr Kim was not aware that investigators were close to arresting Yang, and his acceptance of the post appears to have been an attempt on his part to avoid arrest.

Yang faces charges of raising money through fraudulent methods, illegal use of farmland, fraudulent contracts, fraudulent financial documents and bribery.

His associates say he will plead not guilty to all charges.

Mr Tian and his team have been in Shenyang for more than a month preparing for the case.

It has attracted enormous interest and access to the courtroom's 40-seat gallery will be heavily restricted. The court has given two passes to members of Yang's family and four to employees of his companies. Yang was detained in October and charged in November. He was initially held at a detention centre in Qinhuangdao, a port city in Jiangsu province, and is now in a detention centre in Benxi, Liaoning province, about 100km from Shenyang.

An associate said Yang was able to receive a limited number of visitors and was chain-smoking his favourite cigarettes.



Top lawyer is hired to defend Yang Bin