China's Tainted Milk Trial Opens

15 Charged In Connection With Scandal That Killed At Least 6 Infants, Harmed Thousands More

(AP)  Nine people went on trial Monday in connection with China's tainted milk scandal, state media reported, following the announcement of steps to compensate the families of hundreds of thousands of children harmed by contaminated infant formula.

Hearings were held in the northern city of Shijiazhuang, where the company at the heart of the scandal - Sanlu Group Co. - is headquartered, along with three other cities in surrounding Hebei province, according to state broadcaster CCTV and the Xinhua News Agency.

The first trials in the case began for six men on Friday.

All 15 on trial have been charged with producing and selling melamine. The industrial chemical was added to raw milk because - like protein - it is high in nitrogen and can make protein levels appear higher.

Sanlu's chairwoman and general manager, Tian Wenhua, is scheduled to go before a Shijiazhuang court Wednesday.

At least six babies died and 294,000 other children suffered kidney and urinary problems from drinking the baby formula made from the contaminated milk.

The four suspects in the Shijiazhuang trial are accused of endangering public safety and could face sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty. It identified them as Gao Junjie, his wife Xiao Yu, Xue Jianzhong, and Zhang Yanjun.

The four are accused of having produced 200 tons of a mixture of melamine and malt dextrin, a food additive made from starch, that they marketed to milk producers, according to the reports.

Between November 2007 and August 2008, they sold 110 tons to milk producers - including Sanlu - for a total of 1.23 million yuan ($180,000), the reports said.

Although melamine, a common industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer, is legal to produce and sell in China, CCTV said the court believed the men's actions had "greatly harmed the health and safety of the consumers, especially infants, therefore violating the criminal law of China."

It was unclear if CCTV was quoting the court. Calls to the Intermediate People's Court went unanswered.

Xinhua said the other five are charged with producing and selling poisonous food, but did not give their names or other details.

The trials come amid moves by authorities to end a national disgrace that highlighted widespread problems with food safety and corporate and governmental malfeasance.

On Saturday, China's Dairy Industry Association said 22 dairy producers would make a one-time cash payment to families of victims and establish a fund to cover medical bills for future health problems.

Lawyers - who are seeking to bring a lawsuit against the companies involved - say they understand most children who suffered kidney stones from the tainted milk would get 2,000 yuan ($290), while sicker children would be paid 30,000 yuan ($4,380).

Chinese courts have rejected all claims filed by the victims' families, including a lawsuit filed this month by lawyers representing 63 defendants that sought nearly 14 million yuan ($2 million) in compensation from Sanlu.

The state-owned company has been declared bankrupt according to New Zealand's Fonterra Group, which owns a 43 percent stake in Sanlu.

[goosfraba2]

I wish that "Chinese justice" could be applied to the CEOs and corporate big-wigs of the United States. Since American politicians are impotent and incompetent, I want to see a "French" revolution where the streets run red from the necks of the rapists sitting in their board rooms. Can you say guillotine?

[carlylaine]

Odd that China''s restrictive Government doesn''t like it when someone else kills their own people.

[whitemale08]

How about a trial for Mansanto that wants to monopolize and control of the world''s food supply by forcing Iraqis to use seeds that don''t reproduce so Iraqis have to remain in debt to IMF/World Bank to buy more seeds from Mansanto.

Talk about evil.

That''s why Mansanto and GE can''t wait for a war with Iran. That way they can do the same thing over there.

[brianp55]

"Sanlu''s chairwoman and general manager, Tian Wenhua, is scheduled to go before a Shijiazhuang court Wednesday. "

Hope Tian has her affairs in order.

[walt1944-2009]

Trials have begun in China regarding those responsible for the poisoned milk scandal that has give China still another "black eye" in the global consumer market.

15 people are on trial for "spicing" up the milk with melamine which gives a false protein level and is really an industrial chemical.

It is expected that the trials will be speedy with the 15 people already "almost" convicted in the eyes of the state, and the usual expected "GUILTY" verdict to be handed down promptly.

It is expected that the usual sentence will be handed out with the guilty parties immediately handed over to the Chinese People''s Army Honorable Firing Squad which will dispense justice immediately.

Maybe we should send some of our CEO''s and corporate executives to China to have "justice" dispensed on them?

SIG HEIL, CHINA SHOTS THEIR CORPORATE EXECS, I GIVE THEM A TON OF MONEY HERE FOR A JOB WELL DONE!!!, BUSH!!!

[antoniof123]

Talk about speedy trail and want to bet they get what they deserve. If it was here in the US they would appeal it to death and get away with murder.

[perk235]

"Poisoned" would be a better word than "tainted". Melamine was added on purpose to boost the nitrogen levels in order to make the milk look like it had more protein content than it did.