Ex Chinese Banker Lai Xiaomin Put To Death For Corruption & Bigamy
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a former top banker accused of taking $260 million worth of bribes, other forms of corruption and bigamy has been put to death.
Lai Xiaomin was executed on Friday by a court in the northern city of Tianjin, CCTV said.
Lai was a former chairman of Huarong, one of China’s largest state-controlled asset management firms.
CTV quoted the Chinese Supreme People’s Court, which reviewed and approved the execution order, as saying:
The number of bribes received by Lai Xiaomin was extremely large, the crime’s circumstances were particularly serious and the social impact was particularly severe.
Lai was convicted and sentenced earlier this month on allegations of using his position to embezzle more than 25 million yuan ($3.8 million) in public funds between 2009 and 2018.
He was also found guilty of bigamy after living with a woman outside of his marriage and fathering illegitimate children.
While the report by CCTV did not disclose how Lai was put to death, it said he was allowed to meet with close relatives before his death.
Chinese courts have a conviction rate of over 99 per cent, and it is very rare for a death sentence to be overturned.
