Accused pleads guilty over fatal CCTV inferno

Journalists question the legality of the closed-door court hearing

BEIJING - A former chief of the new China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters pleaded guilty to the charge of causing an accident with dangerous goods at a Beijing court on Tuesday, more than one year after a fire ripped through the extravagant building in the heart of the capital.

Xu Wei, the former head of the CCTV's construction office, and 20 other suspects charged over the fire, face up to seven years in prison and fines, if convicted.