Prosecutors are considering charges against seven men in
connection with the killing of a newspaper reporter in north
China's Shanxi Province in January.
A Datong City Public Security Bureau spokesman said the Public
Security Bureau of Hunyuan County has completed an investigation
into the death of Lan Chengzhang, an employee of the Beijing-based
China Trade News.
The case was passed to the Hunyuan County People's
Procuratorate, which was considering an indictment against seven
people in connection with the fatal beating of Lan, who was
allegedly trying to extort money from the owner of an illegal
coalmine.
A Hunyuan police source said that around midday on January 10,
Hou Zhenrun, owner of Hunyuan Coal Mine, was having lunch in Datong
with two men identified as Kang Quanming and Wu Qiang, when he
received a phone call from mine staff telling him of two
journalists wanting an immediate meeting.
Hou allegedly asked Wu for help and Wu phoned a friend known as
Zheng Wenping to ask him to find people to help the coalmine boss
settle "a problem." Zheng allegedly gathered three accomplices --
Ma Li, Li Zhihong and Gao Bo -- and the seven men traveled to the
mine in two vehicles.
On meeting the two reporters, later identified as Lan Chengzhang
and Chang Hanwen, both of the Shanxi office of China Trade
News, Hou allegedly checked their identity documents, but
found they lacked the certification seal of the State Press and
Publication Administration.
Police claim Hou concluded the two were bogus reporters and
ordered an assault, and the attackers fled after Lan fell to the
ground unconscious.
Chang and Lan were taken to the Datong No. 5 People's Hospital,
about 60 kilometers southeast of Datong.
Lan died of an apparent brain hemorrhage the next morning.
Chang suffered a broken right arm and other minor injuries. He
was heard to have said he and Lan intended to extort money from the
illegal mine boss by pretending to be conducting a newspaper
investigation.
Li Wenxian, Lan's brother-in-law, reported the case to police
immediately after Lan's death.
The police detained Zheng Wenping and Ma Li on January18. Hou
Zhenrun, Wu Qiang, Li Zhihong and Gao Bo surrendered to the police
a few days later.
The police are still searching for Kang Quanming, the mine
boss's driver.
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2007)