Ex-Top Fugitive Lai Confesses to Smuggling
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Shanghai Daily Saturday 31 December 2011 www.shanghaidaily.com TOP NEWS A3 Ex-top fugitive Lai confesses to smuggling Liang Yiwen enforcement cooperation, the public security ministry said. ALLEGED smuggling kingpin Lai Lai had avoided deportation by Changxing, once the No. 1 fugitive arguing he could face the death pen- at the center of China’s biggest cor- alty or be tortured and would not get ruption scandal, has confessed to trafficking and bribery charges and a fair trial in his home country. But that legal battle ended when a federal From left: Singers Harlem Yu, Tanya Chua, Mavis Fan and Willber Pan show their hand prints yesterday his case has been handed over for court in Vancouver ruled Lai should during a press conference for tonight’s countdown ceremony in the Xintiandi area. — Zhang Xinyan prosecution, the customs department and prosecutors in southeastern Fujian not be considered a refugee and upheld Province announced yesterday. his deportation, AP said. Lai, 53, became China’s most-want- According to earlier reports, China New Year’s Eve festivities, ed man after he fled to Canada in 1999 promised Canada that Lai would not and fought extradition for 12 years get the death penalty in 2001 when until he was deported in July. After then-President Jiang Zemin sent the he was extradited to China, he was ar- Canadian prime minister at the time deals set at city tourist spots Jean Chretien a diplomatic note. rested and investigated for smuggling and bribery. Before fleeing to Canada, Lai lived Staff Reporters own countdown plans and will Where you can go tonight to Thirty-one criminal suspects be- a life of luxury in China complete stay alight until after midnight. participate in the New Year’s Eve lieved to be connected to Lai’s alleged with a bulletproof Mercedes Benz. PEOPLE can watch the sunrise, The lighting time tomorrow countdown: ascend tall observation towers, smuggling operation have been sent He is alleged to have run a mansion and on Monday is between 6pm go shopping and enjoy favor- back to China from overseas since in which he plied officials with liquor and 10:30pm. The Bund able prices for tourist sites in 2001, figures from the country’s Gen- and prostitutes. The city will enjoy good A 3D light show with fireworks will be Shanghai on the New Year’s Day eral Administration of Customs show. At the time, state TV splashed weather for the New Year’s Day held at the Bund as midnight approaches. pictures of the network’s allegedly holiday. Lai is the chief suspect in a mul- holiday. It will be sunny to cloudy Shanghai landmarks and natural scenes tibillion-dollar smuggling operation ill-gotten gains: A tiger skin rug laid Locals are invited to watch the from today to Monday, but it will be reflected in a three-dimensional that dates to the 1990s in Xiamen, Fu- out on a conference table, confiscated sunrise from the 100th floor of will turn to overcast on Tuesday. way on the exterior walls of the classic jian Province. He is accused of bribing cars belonging to corrupt bureaucrats, the Shanghai World Financial Drizzle will fall late Tuesday, constructions on the Bund. Starting from local officials there to avoid paying a sack of gold rings, and a picture of a Center tomorrow. The observa- forecasters said. 11:45pm, the show will last for about taxes and duties on items shipped into young woman, said to be a lover kept tory platform will open at 6am, The maximum temperature seven minutes. But authorities may limit the southeastern coastal province. for one official by Lai. two hours earlier than usual. The over the holiday will range be- the volume of people if huge crowds Both Lai and the other major Scores of officials and executives sun will rise at 6:53am that day, tween seven and 10 degrees, after swarm to the Bund. suspects involved have confessed involved have been imprisoned and the center says. lows around four to five degrees, to the charges, the authorities said some executed over the scandal. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Xintiandi according to the Shanghai Meteo- yesterday. Among those punished were a former the Observatory Deck of the A live show, including the New Year rological Bureau. The smuggling largely took place deputy police minister, who was re- Shanghai World Financial countdown, will be held at Xintiandi. Meanwhile, local hospitals between 1996 and 1999 with Lai and moved from his posts as vice minister Center, the Shanghai Ocean Several stars from Hong Kong and Tai- will stop outpatient services his accomplices importing crude oil, for public security and deputy chief Aquarium and 10 other famous wan will attend the show starting from from tomorrow to Tuesday, while vehicles and cigarettes. The smug- of an anti-smuggling task force. The tourist sites in the Pudong New 9:30pm. The event has become a major emergency service is available all gling operation “seriously disrupted deputy mayor of Xiamen and the city’s Area will offer 50 percent dis- countdown events in Shanghai. China’s economic order and created counts today to celebrate New day and night during the three- customs chief were also punished. day holiday. huge economic losses for the nation,” Year’s Eve. Longhua Temple the Ministry of Public Security said. Major banks in Shanghai will Most hotels, including the Striking a temple bell 108 times start- Authorities set up a special group open most of their outlets in busy five-star ones in Pudong, will ing at midnight on New Year’s Eve at to investigate Lai’s case in April 1999. offer half off tonight through downtown shopping areas or res- Longhua Temple is said to absolve sin and Lai fled to Canada with his family reservation on www.ctrip.com. idential areas to meet the demand bring luck. Even if people don’t strike the that year and claimed refugee status, The annual sales champion on of retail banking services during bell, they can receive new year blessings saying the allegations against him the New Year’s holiday — the the holiday. from the temple monks tonight. were “politically motivated.” Canada Next Age Department Store in The Shanghai branch of In- rejected his refugee claim, and years Pudong — has decided to pro- dustrial and Commercial Bank Baohua Temple of legal wrangling ensued. long its discount sale from one of China will open half of its The temple in Zhabei District is not For 12 years Lai fought his deporta- day to three days for the first outlets on Monday. On January as famous as Longhua Temple, but the tion to China. The Federal Court of time to decrease the pressure. 2, the bank will resume nor- newly restored sacred place organizes Canada refused a request to stay the The sales starts today. mal operating schedules. The many traditional games, and blessing ac- deportation of Lai on July 21, finally Local tourist spots will be lit Shanghai branch of Bank of tivities will be held in the temple tonight. clearing the way for his extradition, up between 6pm and 11:30pm China will open 60 percent to This year the main theme will be “peace The Associated Press reported. tonight, except for the Bund and 70 percent of its outlets in the and harmony,” hoping that the city will The repatriation is significant for Lujiazui area which have their city on Monday. have a peaceful year in 2012. the promotion of Sino-Canadian law- Lai Changxing Analysts seek easing as factory index falls anew Wang Yanlin signaled a deterioration in industrial reduction” in new orders. amid deepening eurozone woes, and “It seems more policy fine-tuning business conditions as a reading Meanwhile, manufacturers report- analysts expected it may continue to is needed if the government wants to CHINA’S manufacturing activity below 50 means contraction. ed a slight cut in workforce numbers, deteriorate. bolster the industrial sector, the real shrank for a second month in Decem- ber but showed signs of improvement, “While the pace of slowdown is the first decrease since September. As a result, China’s manufacturing backbone of China’s economy,” said a survey reported yesterday. stabilizing somewhat, weakening “This, plus the ongoing property sector was weakening. Profit growth Zhou Hao, an economist at Australia Considering difficult times ahead, external demand is starting to bite,” market corrections, adds to calls for among industrial companies moder- and New Zealand Banking Group analysts called for more aggres- said Qu Hongbin, chief economist more aggressive action on both fis- ated to 24.4 percent annually in the Ltd. sive easing of policies to support for China at HSBC. cal and monetary fronts to stabilize first 11 months, down from 25.3 per- He expects another cut in reserve manufacturers. According to the survey, new growth and jobs, especially with cent between January and October. requirements early next year. The HSBC China Manufacturing export business fell during Decem- prices easing rapidly,” Qu said. China has relaxed monetary policies The official Purchasing Managers’ Purchasing Managers’ Index, a com- ber, ending a two-month period of The gloomy export outlook was a bit. The central bank allowed banks Index for December, from the China posite indicator to reflect operating growth. Survey participants said it cited repeatedly as a major reason to put aside less capital as reserves ear- Federation of Logistics and Purchas- conditions in the manufacturing sec- linked closely with sluggish demand for China’s economic slowdown. In lier this month, and it ordered lenders ing, will be released on Sunday.