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A former Chinese mining tycoon who started his career by running gambling centers in Guanghan is set to stand trial in the murder of nine individuals. His brother and 34 associates of their “mafia-style” gang were also charged in February.
Liu Han was a former board chairman of the Sichuan Hanlong Group, the largest private enterprise in the southwest Chinese province of Sichuan, with interests including mining, real estate, electricity, energy and finance. His estimated wealth was said to be “tens of billions of yuan”.
Additional charges include financial crimes, operating casinos and gun-running.
The trial against the brothers and 34 of their associates began in Xianning Intermediate People's Court in Hubei Province Monday.
The gang was reportedly involved in a public shooting at a Guanghan teahouse one afternoon in January, 2009.
CNN noted that large numbers of senior Communist Party officials are reportedly attending the trial, which is being closely watched for any signs of links to a potential investigation into former senior official Zhou Yongkang. The 71-year old was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision-making body, before he retired in 2012, and previously served as the czar of China's domestic security apparatus, and as the party chief in Sichuan from 1999 to 2002.
Chinese state media has hinted that Liu Han's alleged gang operated with political connections to central government officials.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
