Sun Dawu: Chinese Billionaire Jailed for 18 Years, Fined R7m for 'Provoking Trouble'
- Sun Dawu was arrested and tried in secret by Chinese authorities over allegations of illegal mining, incitement and other charges
- He admitted to committing the mistakes that would now make him spend nearly two decades in prison
- The 67-year-old has been a fierce critic of the Xi Jinping regime and a supporter of Chinese dissidents
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Chinese billionaire Sun Dawu has been jailed for 18 years and fined R7 million for 'provoking trouble'.
Source: UGC
Dawu's illegal activities
The 67-year-old owner of the Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group was arrested and tried in secret by Chinese authorities over allegations of illegal mining, incitement and other charges.
The Guardian reported that Dawu was found guilty by a court in Gaobeidian, near the capital Beijing.
The billionaire was nabbed on November 11, 2020, alongside his wife, two sons and daughters-in-law.
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He has been a fierce critic of the Xi Jinping regime and a supporter of Chinese dissidents.
A report by NDTV stated that the convict was a vocal champion of rural reforms and a whistleblower during a devastating swine fever outbreak in 2019.
The agriculturalist was quick to call out officials on social media by posting pictures of dead pigs.
He pleaded guilty to the charges saying his conviction may free thousands of others who were suffering under the administration of the Communist Party of China.
"The way they’re investigating me now is making those close to us suffer and those who hate us rejoice. I wish to take the charges upon myself, even if they’re severe, in exchange for the release of others. We are people who have made contributions to society,” he said.
Jacob Zuma is in custody
The Jacob Zuma Foundation issued a statement shortly before midnight on Wednesday in which they stated that the former president Jacob Zuma would be handing himself over to the police.
"Please be advised that President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN," read the statement.
The Department of Correctional Services(DCS) then issued a statement after midnight confirming that Zuma was taken into custody just before the deadline of the Constitutional Court, according to The Citizen.
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Source: Briefly News
Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
