Chinese billionaire's nephew denied bail in US forced labour case
Dan Zhong, nephew of construction magnate Wang Wenliang, accused of coercing Chinese workers to carry out building contracts under ‘slave-like conditions’
A US judge denied bail on Thursday to a Chinese billionaire’s nephew whose construction company allegedly forced labourers who worked at China’s UN mission to carry out other contracts under slave-like conditions and in violation of their visas.
Dan Zhong, a nephew of Chinese construction magnate Wang Wenliang, had sought to be released under a US$10 million bond and live under house arrest under the watch of a private security firm. It would have been paid US$144,000 a month by his family members.
But US District Judge Sterling Johnson reversed a federal magistrate judge’s decision that had set bail conditions after prosecutors argued Zhong posed a flight risk.
Prosecutors cited Zhong’s access to vast wealth as giving him the means to flee. They said a co-defendant had already fled and that several workers at Zhong’s company were leaving for China after receiving subpoenas.
“We’re concerned this defendant if bonded out will flee as well,” said assistant US attorney Alexander Solomon.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, Zhong’s lawyer, declined to comment. In court, he argued the bail conditions would have ensured there was “no reasonable way he could escape”.