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China jails tycoon Xiao Jianhua for 13 years, slapping an
unprecedented US$8 billion fine on his Tomorrow Group
Canadian-Chinese tycoon guilty of illegally collecting public deposits, using entrusted
assets in breach of trust, illegal use of funds and bribery, a Shanghai court says
Sentencing concludes a clean-up of Xiao’s financial empire, which was part of Beijing’s efforts to control financial risks
Iris Ouyang
South China Morning Post
Published: 4:52pm, 19 Aug, 2022
Chinese-Canadian billionaire Xiao Jianhua was sentenced to 13 years behind bars on Friday. Photo: Handout
A court in China has sentenced Xiao Jianhua, the founder of Tomorrow Group, to 13 years in prison, and slapped a fine of 55 billion yuan (US$8.1 billion) on the conglomerate, bookending the dramatic break-up of China’s largest privately owned financial empire after a five-year investigation.
The Canadian-Chinese tycoon – who disappeared from a luxury hotel in Hong Kong in 2017 – was found guilty of illegally collecting public deposits, using entrusted assets in breach of trust, illegally using funds and bribery, according to a statement by the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People’s Court on Friday. Xiao was also personally fined 6.5 million yuan.
The sentencing closed the clean-up of Xiao’s financial empire comprising assets worth 3 trillion yuan, and is part of Beijing’s ramped-up efforts to control financial risks in recent years.
Hong Kong national security law: 6 ex-Apple Daily staff to admit collusion,
Jimmy Lai to stand trial without jury after pleading not guilty
Lai, 74, charged alongside six former employees of tabloid-style paper with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces
Prosecutors allege they had sought international sanctions or hostile actions by foreign governments against Hong Kong or mainland China
Brian Wong
Published: 3:06pm, 22 Aug, 2022
South China Morning Post
Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is facing a charge of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. Photo: Winson Wong
Six former senior executives of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper will admit collusion under Hong Kong’s national security law, the High Court has heard, while their jailed ex-boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying will stand trial without a jury after pleading not guilty to the charges.
Lai, 74, was charged alongside the six former employees of the opposition-friendly, tabloid-style paper with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. The media tycoon and three associate companies were the only ones pleading not guilty.
The defendants’ positions were revealed on Monday in a case management hearing, which is usually held behind closed doors for parties to handle administrative matters before a trial.
Imran is charged in an effort to keep him quiet in a corrupt political move
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan charged under terrorism act
By Darryl Coote
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was charged Sunday under the country's antiterrorism laws
over a speech he gave a day earlier. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan who was ousted from power in April, was charged Sunday under the country's antiterrorism act amid a political fight for the country's helm.
The charge report says Khan threatened officials during a speech he gave a day earlier in which he chastised top police officials and a judge over the arrest of his chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill, The Washington Post reported.
"The way Imran Khan made his speech and the threats he made led to fear and terror among the police, judiciary and the common people and it harmed the peace of country," the charge report states.
Sounds like the police and judiciary are pretty easily terrorized.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted that Kahn "will have to face the law for threatening and hurling abuses at the Magistrate and Police officers."
"Such acts of brazen thuggery are responsible for instigating extremism in society," he said, before addressing Khan directly: "You ... are not allowed to challenge the writ of the state by inciting rebellion."
As of early Monday, Khan has yet to be arrested.
Senior members of Khan's political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have tweeted images and videos of crowds outside Khan's Bani Gala residence in a show of support for their embattled leader.
"Whole nations stand behind Chairman PTI [Khan] against the imported government," the party's official account tweeted Sunday.
Murad Saeed, a senior PTI official and a close associate of Khan, confirmed Sunday that an arrest order has been issued for Khan while calling on citizens to protest.
"Get out for the sake of Pakistan!" he tweeted.
The charges brought against Khan come months after he was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in early April.
Since being ousted, the former cricket star has continued to give mass rallies for his party, which has made significant gains in recent elections.
However, PTI officials have said that in response to the political wins the Pakistani government banned some pro-Khan media outlets and targeted members of Khan's inner circle with arrests.
Remember, this is Pakistan, not Myanmar or Ukraine.
"Record defeat of the imported government coalition. That's why they are running away from the elections. When channels were banned for showing Imran Khan's speech, people went to YouTube, when YouTube was closed, people came out on the streets," Saeed tweeted Sunday. "The independent nation has decided."
I wonder what he means by the 'imported government coalition'?
Gill was arrested earlier this month on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institutions for comments he made on ARY News alleging the government was trying to influence rank and file military personnel to turn against PTI, local news organization Dawn reported.
In announcing Gill's arrest, Sanaullah tweeted that Gill during his TV appearance had read from a script prepared for him under Khan's supervision in order to "create rifts between ranks of the state institution."
His arrest sparked criticism from PTI and allegations, including from Khan, that Gill had been tortured and sexually abused under police custody, charges government officials and authorities deny.
During Khan's speech Saturday, the former prime minister threatened to bring lawsuits against those responsible for Gill's arrest, including police, stating they will pay for torturing him.
Hold on there, Imran, the police might be in terror of lawsuits.
In response, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority issued a four-page statement banning TV channels from broadcasting Khan's speeches live, stating they could be aired with a delay once ensuring they are in compliance with the law.
In the statement, PERMA said that Khan has repeatedly leveled "baseless allegations" against state institutions and spread "hate speech through his provocative statements" in defiance of the law.
Following Khan's speech, Islamabad Capital Territory Police issued a statement of rebuke on Sunday, stating "anyone making threats or allegations will be dealt with."
"We have taken an oath to serve the nation at all times. All officers and men are rendering their services with full responsibility and will continue to render them."
Early Monday, police announced the arrest of popular YouTuber Jameel Farooqui in Karachi for making a video accusing police of physically and sexually assaulting Gill.
"Islamabad Capital Police had indicated action against those making inflammatory, fabricated and false allegations," it said.
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