Man in China sentenced to death for selling illegal cooking oil
Man's brothers also sentenced to life in prison
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man in China has been sentenced to death for selling dirty cooking oil, according to state media.
Zhu Chuanfeng's sentence was suspended for two years. According to the Associated Press news agency, such sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment.
His two brothers, Zhu Chuanqing and Zhu Chuanbo, were sentenced to life in prison and seven others got between five and 15 years for involvement in selling so-called "gutter oil," produced by re-bottling a mixture of waste oil or leftovers from restaurants.
According to the country's state-run Xinhua agency, the brothers invested in an oil plant in 2001 and five years later began to make the illegal oil.
They then sold it to 17 dealers in Shandong and Shanxi provinces, in the country's east, with a value of 52.4 million yuan (£5 million).
A court in Jinan city, eastern Shandong, passed the sentences on Tuesday, with the brothers' seven co-defendants also fined up to 2 million yuan (£200,000) each. The brothers' personal assets were seized, Xinhua said.
The country has been hit with a series of food safety scandals in recent years, with the government passing a tough new law in 2009, promising harsh penalties for offenders.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments