Tycoon stands trial in China's gangland case
BEIJING (AP) — A mining tycoon, his brother and 34 associates are standing trial on allegations of running a vast criminal gang in China's Sichuan province that gunned down rivals and bribed prosecutors and police to avoid prosecution.
The case centers on Liu Han, former multimillionaire chairman of energy conglomerate Sichuan Hanlong Group.
The gang bust in southwestern China appears to be part of a wide-ranging corruption crackdown in Sichuan province that has ensnared senior politicians and influential businessmen.
The gang is accused of blackmailing, threatening, beating up and slaying business rivals and ordinary people while bribing police and prosecutors to protect their associates and dealings.
State media say the Liu brothers have been charged with 15 crimes, including murder, assault and illegal detention.
