Across China: Shanghai

Death penalty for fraud

A woman in Zhejiang province has been sentenced to death for financing fraud. Gao Qiuhe, in her 50s, illegally raised huge amounts of money by promising high returns but failed to pay the money back. By the time she was arrested in Aug 2007, Gao owed 115 individuals 116 million yuan ($17 million), Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court said last Friday. She was sentenced to death and all her personal assets were confiscated. Her son, Bao Jianshu, was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined 100,000 yuan for assisting her.