Chinese official behind enforced demolition jailed for 11 years.
It may be the world’s most populated nation and it may boast the world’s fastest-growing economy but, where demolition is concerned, China appears to have cornered the market in bad news.
In previous months, we have seen people setting themselves on fire and another buried alive as they protested about the enforced demolition of their homes. But thankfully, it appears that the tide may at last be turning with the news that an official in east China Anhui Province has been jailed for 11 years for taking bribes and abusing his power to help a forced demolition that led to the house owner’s suicide.
Cao Yingzhang, vice head of Yingchuan District in Fuyang City, received the sentence from a county court on Monday.
The court also confiscated 100,000 yuan (US$14,651) he received in bribes from property developers, Beijing Times reported today.
House owner Chen Shaokun drank a bottle of pesticide in November 2008 after a demolition crew beat up his son’s wife, broke her nose, and tore down his house without his consent. Since then, he has been in a vegetative state.
Fuyang city government started the eviction plan in May 2008 to widen the street. Chen refused to move because he did not agree with the compensation plan.
Read the full story here.
