Lawyers talk to detained New Express reporter
Representatives of Guangzhou newspaper meet journalist taken by Hunan police over claims reports damaged local company's reputation
The legal representatives of the Guangzhou-based New Express arrived in Changsha yesterday to meet a reporter who was taken away by Hunan police in Guangzhou and whose case has sparked concern in central government departments.
Analysts said senior officials are keen to settle the case in a peaceful and lawful way ahead of a key party plenum next month.
Chen Yongzhou, the detained business reporter with New Express, was seized in the Guangdong capital and taken to Changsha last Friday morning.
Chen had reported on an alleged fraud at Zoomlion, the second largest maker of construction equipment on the mainland. Hunan police accused him of "fabricating facts in his reportage" and "damaging the company's commercial reputation".
Based in Changsha, Zoomlion is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, and since news of Chen's arrest surfaced on Wednesday, its stock price fell by as much as 11.6 per cent, closing at HK$6.70 yesterday. The Hang Seng Index dropped by 2.6 per cent in the same period. The company's shares trading in Shenzhen also dropped by as much as 8.6 per cent over the past three days, and closed at 5.45 yuan (HK$6.89) yesterday.
Chen's wife, who declined to be named, told reporters yesterday he was in good condition.
"He told me to take care of myself and not to worry about him. He said folks there have been treating him well," she said.