China Sentences 113 in Tainted Pork Scandal

Posted November 26th, 2011 at 1:25 am (UTC-5)
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China's official news agency said Saturday that 113 people, including 77 government employees, have been punished for their role in a tainted pork scandal.

The Xinhua news agency said several farms in Henan province were found to be using the fat-burning drug clenbuterol, a banned chemical that makes pork leaner but is a carcinogen in humans.

Xinhua said the main culprit, Liu Xiang, was convicted of harming public safety and sentenced to death, with the execution delayed for two years. Such sentences are often later commuted to life imprisonment.

The news agency said all the government employees involved, including animal health inspectors and food safety officials, received penalties for negligence of duty and abuse of power. Their average prison term is three to nine years.