May 18, 2012
Translated By Song Chunling

Lai Changxing, who was labeled China’s most wanted man in 1999 and spent the following twelve years evading prosecution in Canada, was given a life sentence on Friday by a court in Xiamen, the city where he made a fortune smuggling cigarettes, cars and petroleum.

At the end of an 16-day hearing, the Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court also found Lai guilty of separate corruption charges that carry a 15 year sentence and a 20 million yuan fine.

The hearing might normally have concluded with the death penalty, but Canada is reported to have blocked that outcome Lai’s life when it agreed to extradite Lai in July last year.  Civil servants, deputies to the NPC and CPPCC members, as well as Lai’s relatives and friends were present at the court in Xiamen.

The court said that Lai started his smuggling group in 1991, when he set up companies in Hong Kong and Xiamen.

It found that the group had smuggled goods worth 27.4 billion yuan between December 1995 to May 1999, evaded 14 billion yuan worth of taxes and paid 39 million yuan in bribes over that period.

State news agency Xinhua citied an official saying that Lai's conviction will greatly enhance China’s battle against crime and corruption.

Links and Sources:
Xinhua: 厦门市中级人民法院对赖昌星案依法公开审判