Drug-Lord Criminal with Chinese Characteristics: Former Chinese Food
and Drug Supervisor Sentenced to Death

Former Chinese Food and Drug Supervisor Sentenced to Death
The Epoch Times
Jun 02, 2007

http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2007-6-3-705290027041369.jpg
Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of China's State Food and Drug Administration

According to China News and China Court websites, Zheng Xiaoyu, former
director of China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) was
sentenced to death by the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court.

Analysts point out that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used the
death penalty in the Zheng case to appease international concerns and
condemnations received over China's export of contaminated food, tainted
pet food and counterfeit prescription drugs.

Zheng was tried on eight charges of bribery and three of dereliction of
duty. The court accused of Zheng of accepting bribes totaling about 6.45
million yuan (US$850,000).

During his trial, Zheng admitted accepting the bribes, but denied the
charges of dereliction of duty. Zheng made many references to Cao
Wenzhuang, who was former director of department of Drug Registration
under SFDA.

Cao worked as secretary to Zheng, and in 2002 became director of
department of Drug Registration. According to a recent British
Broadcasting Company report quoting China's media, 150,000 of 172,000
Drug Approval Numbers had been handled by Cao.

Cao's appeared at Zheng's trial as witness for the prosecution. His
testimony implicated both himself and Zheng as accepting bribes. Cao has
also been accused of taking bribes. It is said that Cao will be
prosecuted when Zheng's case is concluded.

Although Zheng's wife, Liu Naixue, and their son Zheng Hairong were also
suspected of receiving bribes, they were not prosecuted. Liu, who needs
to take care of her elderly mother, was granted bail after her arrest.

Although Zheng has severe diabetes, his application for bail for medical
treatment has been denied.

CCP Uses Zheng to Appease International Condemnation

Mainland observers noted that public access to Zheng's trial was under
tight control. According to the CCP, the trial was public. However, the
court did not allow reporters or journalists to attend the hearing,
saying that there were no more trial guest passes.

Epoch Times columnist Wang Yifeng commented that Zheng's bribes,
totaling 6.45 million yuan, are minor when compared to the over 300
million in bribes accepted by Zhou Zhengyi and the billions of yuan
accepted by Jiang and his gang of political cronies.

Wang suggests that the CCP sentenced Zheng to death in an attempt to
dispel the cloud of controversy raised by the discovery that China has
been selling poisoned foods and contaminated drugs around the world. By
making Zheng a scapegoat and disposing of him harshly and swiftly, the
Chinese regime hopes to dispel the growing concerns about the quantities
and composition of contaminated and counterfeit products shipped
overseas by China every day..

Biography of Zheng Xiaoyu

Zheng Xiaoyu was born in Fujian Province in 1944. He graduated from the
Department of Biology at Fudan University in 1968. He has 23 years of
experience in the drug manufacturing industry. Zheng was appointed as
director of the National Drug Surveillance and Administration Bureau in
1994, the first director of the SFDA after the State Council's
reorganized the department in March 1998.

On June 22, 2005, Zheng was removed from the post of director of SFDA.
In December 2006, he was accused of taking bribes during his eight years
as China's top drug regulator. In March 2007, his case was sent to
China's judicial system for investigation.

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