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Former coal chief and wife get jail sentences

By Zhang Jiawei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-16 15:59
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Hao Pengjun, former Party secretary Puxian county's coal bureau in Shanxi, was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the Puxian people's court for tax evasion, illegally buying explosives, embezzlement and corruption, the Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

The court also sentenced Yu Xiangting, Hao's wife and former deputy head of Puxian civil affairs bureau, to 13 years in jail for tax evasion and illegally buying explosives. The couple was fined 170 million yuan ($25 million).

Hao set up a firm to produce and sell coal in 2000, with his wife in charge of selling coal and the company's accounting. The firm allegedly evaded 18.71 million yuan in tax between 2003 and 2008, accounting for 82 percent of what the firm should have paid in taxes.

Hao bought 63.5 tons of explosives and more than 190,000 detonators by cheating related departments.

Hao also embezzled 230,000 yuan in public funds to make a profit for his own firm, and took 250,000 yuan from public funds into his pocket, according to the court.