Head Of Chinese FDA Sentenced To Death For Taking Bribes

China scares the crap out of us. From Reuters:

China sentenced the former head of the State Food and Drug Administration to death for corruption, state media reported on Tuesday, in an unusually harsh sentence which could be reduced on appeal.

Corruption and food safety have preoccupied Chinese leaders as they grapple with the fallout overseas after a series of scandals involving toxins in food and other products.

Zheng Xiaoyu was convicted on charges of taking bribes and dereliction of duty, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court.

Zheng, 62, headed the watchdog agency from 1998 to 2005 but was expelled from the ruling Communist Party earlier this year after investigators said he abused the administration’s approval powers to obtain bribes and win illegal profits from drug companies.

You don’t want to be the fall-guy in a Communist country. Forgive us if we don’t think killing the former head of the Chinese FDA is really going to solve the problem. Not that we could say that in China and get away with it. Terrifying. —MEGHANN MARCO

‘Death sentence’ for China ex-official [CNN] (Thanks, Alan!)
China’s former food and drug chief sentenced to death [Forbes]
(Photo: amyadoyzie)

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