HUBEI , China, May 23 (UPI) -- Chinese mining magnate Liu Han was sentenced to death Friday in Hubei, China, on counts including murder.
Liu Han and his brother Liu Wei were found guilty of "organizing and leading Mafia-style crime and murder," the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. The court said their organization "obtained financial gains via illegal activities," and on multiple occasions "committed murder, harm and illegal detention," relying on "the cover-ups and collusion of government employees" to illegally control gambling machines in Sichuan province.
The verdict could lead to a criminal case against an associate of Liu's -- Zhou Yongkang, China's former security chief. An indictment of that magnitude could result in China's biggest political corruption case in the Communist era.
Liu, former head of Sichuan Hanlong Group, a mining conglomerate, was ranked 148th in 2012 on Forbes Magazine's list of China's richest business people. His criminal organization had strong political ties in Sichuan province.
Rumors persist that Zhou is under investigation, but there has been no official confirmation.
