Jailed ex-chair of GeoMaxima Energy Sun Tiangang sues Sinopec in LA

The former chairman of a Hong Kong-listed oil pipeline firm has sued China Petroleum & Chemical for US$5.17 billion, alleging the company known as Sinopec was involved in a scheme that had him imprisoned for five years on fabricated charges.

Sun Tiangang, former chairman of GeoMaxima Energy Holdings, has filed a writ in the federal court in Los Angeles, accusing Sinopec of malicious prosecution among other allegations, Bloomberg reported.

He claimed that state-backed Sinopec and the mainland government were responsible for his arrest in 2005 after he sued Sinopec in Beijing for breaching an oil transportation agreement.

Sun said he was arrested in August 2005 and not brought before a judge until about three years later.

While he was imprisoned, his assets were seized and his wife and daughter had to go into hiding, according to the writ.

He was found not guilty on bribery and embezzlement charges and was released from detention in 2010, the writ added.