Sichuan mining tycoon Liu Han accused of running murderous crime gang
Liu Han's prosecution in Sichuan province may be linked to wider graft probe into associates of former public security tsar Zhou Yongkang
A Sichuan mining tycoon has been charged with running a mafia-style gang involved in murder and extortion, a case that appears connected to the wider corruption probe into associates of retired security tsar Zhou Yongkang.
Liu Han, the former chairman of Sichuan Hanlong, was accused of being the ringleader of 35 suspects charged yesterday in Xianning, Hubei, with participating in various criminal activities, Xinhua reported.
Liu ranked 148th on the Forbes's 2012 China Rich List with an estimated fortune of US$855 million. Xinhua said Liu and his gang had amassed nearly US$7 billion through their crimes.
Xianning, along with Yichang, has been chosen to handle most of the corruption cases related to the wide-ranging investigation into Zhou, three people told the South China Morning Post. The people said Zhou, who once led the country's domestic security apparatus, was being held in Inner Mongolia.
Officials, journalists and businessmen in Sichuan said Liu has been described as Zhou's "godson", but the claim could not be verified. The financial news outlet Caixin has also reported that Liu was involved in a business deal with Zhou's elder son, Zhou Bin , in 2003.