Twenty-one defendants were given prison sentences ranging from one to nine years by a Beijing court Tuesday on charges of disturbing the social order, after they "rescued" a graft suspect from a Beijing hotel, said the Beijing Evening News.

Yao Chuanrui, former manager of the Shenzhen branch of China Construction International Corporation, underwent questioning by Party officials at a hotel in Beijing's Haidian District beginning November 2005 on suspicion of involvement in economic crimes.

Yao bribed a hotel security guard named Li Xiaolei to get in touch with his family relatives and tell them to come and "rescue" him, the newspaper said.

In January, Yao's nephew Yao Wei sneaked into the hotel using a fake identification card and put the finishing touches to the escape plan with his uncle.

In February, 21 people, including Yao's mistress and nephew, took part in the "rescue" operation. However, all 21 people --and Yao himself-- were subsequently arrested, said the newspaper.

Shan Guangming, one of the 21 defendants, was sentenced to nine years in jail, deprived of his political rights for a year and fined 2000 yuan for the crime of intentionally injuring others.

The other 20 defendants, including Yao's mistress and nephew, were given one to six years in prison, said the newspaper.

The newspaper did not specify what has happened to Yao Chuanrui. But he was not sentenced on Tuesday, according to the report.

Source: Xinhua