[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 4


CHINA:

Former Shanghai Tycoon Could Face Death Penalty


According to Hong Kong's Apple Daily, on October 27, the Shanghai Second
Intermediate People's Court has concluded its case against Zhou Zhengyi.
Zhou was charged with bribery and fraud in transactions valued over 100
billion dollars. He could face the death penalty.

Following the closing of the 17th Congress, the case against Zhou Zhengyi,
once believed to reflect power struggles within the Chinese Communist
Party, concluded without immediate sentencing. The indictment revealed
Zhou Zhengyi was charged on three counts of bribery (unit, corporate, and
general), forging VAT (value added tax) receipts, and misappropriation of
funds.

On October 30, the Guangdong's 21st Century Business Herald reported the
bill of indictment against Zhou Zhengyi. It detailed that since January
1999, Zhou was involved in a bogus transaction on electrolytic copper
valued over 100 billion dollars between Liyuan Company and Nongkai Group
and its 15 other affiliated companies. Through bribery of bank staff and a
huge amount of fake VAT invoices, Zhou obtained bank loans amounting to
billions of dollars.

Zhou's defense lawyer Ma Shuning once claimed that the death penalty is an
impossibility. However, there have been numerous death sentences
associated with forging VAT receipts. Since 2003, six of the seven cases
involving 60 million (over US$ 8 million) to nearly 400 million yuan (US$
53.7 million) of illegal funds were sentenced to death.

Business as UsualEven in Prison

Back in 2003, Zhou Zhengyi was suspected of evading taxes, manipulating
stocks, and obtaining huge amounts of illegal loans. He redeveloped a land
parcel covering 45.2 acres in the eastern part of Jing'an District in
Shanghai without paying a land lease having an estimated value of 300
million yuan (US$40.3 million). Zhou was slammed with a 3-year sentence.

Zhou changed his name while in prison, and by bribing officials with
millions of yuan, he received special treatment and operated his business
from inside the prison. He was released last May. On January 20, he was
re-arrested because of involvement in former Shanghai Party Leader Chen
Liangyu's case. Chen's case which involved allegations of looting
Shanghai's social security fund was later dismissed.

Jiang Zemin's Son Confides 'State Secrets' to Zhou

Hong Kong news media reported that authorities dug up evidence that
implicated Jiang Mianhengformer Chinese leader Jiang Zeming's sonin a
crime scandal.

Just before Zhou Zhengyi's case went to trial, the Hong Kong-based
Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy in China quoted sources
saying that Zhou met Jiang Mianheng in a bar before he was arrested on May
26, 2003.

Jiang Mianheng disclosed some state secrets to Zhou, including details of
the case of Liu Jinbaoformer president of the Bank of China in Hong Kong.
Authorities are said to have obtained volumes of recordings of this
conversation.

(source: Epoch Times)






PAKISTAN:

Musharraf should face death penalty: Imran Khan

President and former cricketer Imran Khan today said that President Pervez
Musharraf has committed treason and should face the death penalty for
declaring a state of emergency.

Calling on Pakistanis to resist Musharraf's move and not to recognise new
Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Khan was quoted by The News as saying
"He (Musharraf) has committed high treason by negating the orders of the
Supreme Court which bars him from taking any unconstitutional steps and by
sending in troops after the Supreme Court decision."

"He is punishable by death. I urge every Pakistani people not to recognise
this collaborator chief justice. I urge the people, lawyers, civil society
to resist this move by Musharraf. I urge lawyers to boycott the court
proceedings," he added.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif said the country was in the middle of a major
crisis, adding that the decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented.

"In the past, the prime minister and the parliament were targets of
martial law, but now the Supreme Court is the target," Sharif told Geo
News on telephone from Saudi Arabia.

"The decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented. Never in history
has such treatment been meted out to judges," Sharif said.

He said the offices of the president and Army Chief both have been used
against the country. "Nobody would support this situation within or
outside the country," he said.

He said the government has nothing to justify its steps, now the question
is what will be told to the world.

He said that his Pakistan Muslim League (N) "will launch a full fledged
movement against Musharraf government."

He said Maulana Fazlur Rahman has already announced to launch a movement
in case of imposition of emergency, while Benazir Bhutto has also opposed
the step.

"It would be a sin to talk about election, now is the time to save the
country. All of us should stand against the unconstitutional step," he
added.

(sources: Dailyindia.com/ANI)