Former executive of Beijing construction firm on trial for graft, hit-and-run accident

A former executive of a leading Beijing-based construction company has gone on trial on charges involving bribery, gambling away public money and a hit-and-run accident.

Zhao Fengyi, formerly general manager of a construction firm under Beijing Urban and Rural Construction Group, is accused of embezzling almost seven million yuan (875,000 U.S. dollars) of public funds and taking four million yuan (500,000 U.S. dollars) in bribes, according to Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court.

Zhao allegedly admitted gambling away 2.35 million yuan (294,000 U.S. dollars) of the money he stole.

He is also accused of squandering another million yuan (125,000 U.S. dollars) taking six colleagues to the Republic of Korea during the 2002 World Cup to watch the game between China and Brazil.

Shortly after he was removed from post in early 2004, Zhao was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident in which a farmer died in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. He allegedly admitted speeding and driving in the wrong lane.

The local anti-graft bureau, the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, started an investigation into him in January 2005.

During the investigation, Zhao is said to have disclosed the alleged corruption of several other company executives, including Nie Yuhe, formerly general manager of Beijing Urban and Rural Construction Group.

Nie is also under investigation.

The construction sector is notorious for bribery, under-the-table deals and payments in arrears. Premier Wen Jiabao has supported millions of migrant construction workers in their pleas for wages to be paid on time and in full.

At least seven executives of the Beijing construction giant are subject to corruption investigations.

Source: Xinhua