The Higher People's Court of Beijing today rejected a former
senior drug official's appeal and upheld his death sentence and
two-year reprieve, the Beijing Evening News reported today.
Cao Wenzhuang, the former director of the Drug Registration
Department under China's top drug approving authority, was found
guilty of taking 2.34 million yuan (US$309,524) in bribes from
pharmaceutical companies for drug registrations from 2003 to
2005.
He was also convicted of improperly lowering criteria for drugs
in clinical trials to increase the chances of medicines reaching
the market.
Cao on July 8 handed in his appeal petition for leniency, which
stated that he was receiving unfair treatment while in custody and
that he never sought illegal gains.
However, the court upheld the sentence at today's final trial.
If he behaves well the next two years in jail, his death sentence
will be commuted to life in prison.
Cao is the third senior official with the State Food and Drug
Administration to stand trial, following former head Zheng Xiaoyu
and former director of the medical devices department Hao
Heping.
Zheng, Cao's former boss, was executed on July 10 after being
found guilty of taking 6.49 million yuan in bribes and dereliction
of duty.
Hao, also one of Zheng's former secretaries, was sentenced to 15
years in prison on corruption charges in November.
(Shanghai Daily August 28, 2007)