Chinese agri-tycoon Sun Dawu faces trial after land dispute with state farm
- Police in Hebei province detained the Dawu Group chief and a number of associates last year and said their cases will now be referred to prosecutors
- One of Sun’s legal advisers says they appear to have avoided prosecution under anti-gang laws – something lawyers had feared would ‘destroy’ the business
Chinese billionaire Sun Dawu is expected to face trial later this year, after police in Hebei province said they had handed details of his case over to prosecutors.
The agribusiness tycoon and a group of family members and employees were initially detained in November following a land dispute with a local state farm.
Police in Gaobeidian city posted a statement online that said: “Sun Dawu of the Hebei Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group and his associates were detained by police in accordance with the law for alleged violation of the laws.
“The investigations were completed recently and their cases will be referred to Gaobeidian prosecutors to prepare for trial.”
Yang Bin, a former prosecutor who is acting as a legal adviser to Dawu Group, said one of the detainees had been released on bail on Monday but 24 still remained in custody.
The detainees included Sun’s two brothers, his son Sun Meng, the group’s general manager Liu Ping, and several company executives. They are being held at detention centres in Gaobeidian and Baoding.