Legal experts tip a guilty finding against the tycoon within 45 days
The three-day trial of millionaire Yang Bin ended yesterday with no verdict and his fate now rests in the hands of three judges who have 45 days to make a decision.
Yang went on trial on Wednesday at the Shenyang Intermediate Court for alleged bribery, illegal use of land, fraud and falsifying commercial contracts. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Under the law, the judges have 45 days to reach a verdict. If they find the case too complex, they can extend that to a further 45 days.
'We are happy with the performance of our lawyers,' said Yang Fenglin, Yang's aunt who took legal control of his assets after his arrest last October, and was representing his Euro Asia Agriculture Company during the trial.
Legal sources said that a guilty verdict - with a sentence of five to 10 years - was most likely.
They believe that if the sentence is light, Yang will probably accept it, especially if it includes time already served. As a Dutch citizen, Yang is likely to spend only part of the prison term in a Chinese jail before being expelled to Holland.