Tycoon lands in court for attack order

SHANGHAI: Property tycoon Zhou Xiaodi attended a hearing in a Shanghai court yesterday on charges he masterminded an aggravated assault against his business partner and illegally traded land.

The 52-year-old former delegate to the city's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of the multibillion-yuan Zhou Group appeared before Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court with his general manager, driver and six other individuals allegedly involved in the assault.

The indictment said that on Aug 27, Zhou summoned general manager Xu Jiangang and driver Li Guangkui to the construction site of the jointly owned land plot, where he instructed the driver to assault Yin.