China officials 'to face death penalty'

Cheng Kejie was executed last week in a separate case

A number of defendants on trial in China's biggest communist-era corruption trial are expected to face the death penalty, according to a report in the official China Daily.

The trial involves dozens of officials who are accused of involvement in a multi-billion dollar smuggling scandal in Fujian province.

Few details of the trial have been released, but the article in the China Daily said the trial showed that both "tigers and flies" were being targeted, and no favouritism was being shown to officials of higher rank.

The Xiamen court is cordoned off

"Authorities are taking off their kid gloves in dealing with corrupt officials," said the paper.

"Though court investigations...are yet to produce the whole picture, expectations are high for a big catch because of the case's suspected links with officials," it adds.

The paper highlights the case of another high-ranking official, Cheng Kejie, a former parliamentary vice-chairman, who was executed last week after a separate corruption inquiry.

Intense secrecy

It says a "heavier haul" is expected from the new trials.

The scandal centres on the southern port city of Xiamen, where the smugglers' booty is said to have included cars, oil, raw materials, heavy machinery and luxury goods.

Officials are said to have been bribed to turn a blind eye to the illegal trade.

The trials are being held amid intense secrecy, with all foreign press and most Chinese journalists barred from attending.

Five separate hearings are under way in cities across Fujian province - Xiamen, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Putian and Zhangzhou.

Even the exact number of defendants has not been revealed, although up to 200 officials are believed to have been implicated in the scandal.

The defendants are said to include a high-ranking policeman and senior bankers. Hong Kong press reports have also implicated the families of some of China's most senior leaders.

The Chinese Government had earlier pledged that no official, however senior, was above the law - and the trials are being seen as a major test of that promise.