Two grocery store owners were given prison terms of eight years
and one year, respectively, on Thursday for selling fake milk
powder in the trial surrounding the deaths of 12 infants who died
from drinking the fake formula.
Li Xindao, a shopkeeper in Linquan County, a rural area outside
the city of Fuyang in Anhui
Province, was given eight years in prison and a fine of 1,000
yuan (US$121) for selling food not up to hygiene standards.
Li was accused of selling milk powder that he should have known
to be fake because of the unusually low price.
At least one infant died of malnutrition after consuming the
milk powder Li sold last year. Li's lawyer insisted that Li had no
idea of the powder's quality when selling the goods.
The defendant said he would appeal the verdict.
Meanwhile, storeowner Zhu Xuejun of Taihe County, also near
Fuyang, was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 1,500
yuan (US$180).
They are the first two defendants to be tried in the fake
formula case, which led to dozens of arrests this past spring.
The inferior milk powder scandal stirred a nationwide uproar.
Premier Wen Jiabao issued an urgent order in late April to launch a
thorough investigation into the cases in the city of Fuyang and in
other areas.
At least 12 infants were determined to have died and another 229
suffering from malnutrition in varying degrees from drinking milk
made from the powder, which consisted largely of starch.
Forty-seven people were detained in May, 40 of whom were
arrested on charges of producing and marketing fake milk
powder.
(China Daily, China.org.cn August 6, 2004)