Ex-SOE head's death penalty overturned

After a two-year review, the Supreme People's Court overturned the death sentence and ordered a retrial for the former head of a State-owned enterprise who was accused of taking bribes and embezzling gold and silver worth millions of yuan.

In Song Wendai's trial two years ago it was alleged that he had misappropriated 134 kilograms of gold, nearly 1,000 kilograms of silver and some other precious metals and cash in addition to four real estate properties.

The top court rejected the death penalty on grounds that the facts were not clear and the evidence was insufficient, according to a Beijing Times news report on Monday.