China Rejects Appeal Of Tainted Milk Boss

(CBS/AP)  A Chinese court has rejected the appeal of a dairy boss sentenced to life in prison for her role in last year's milk scandal that sickened hundreds of thousands of babies.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the People's High Court in Hebei province upheld the original verdict of Tian Wenhua. The 66-year-old was the general manager and chairwoman of the now-defunct Sanlu Group Co.

At her trial at the end of December Tian pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard products after infant formula tainted with the chemical melamine was blamed in the deaths of at least six babies and the illnesses of nearly 300,000 others.

She was the highest-ranking official charged in the food safety scandal, widely seen as a national disgrace that highlighted corporate and official shortcomings and corruption.

During her Dec. 31 trial, Tian admitted she had known of problems with her company's products for months before informing authorities. The scandal was exposed in September.

Investigations showed that middlemen who sold milk to dairy companies were watering down raw milk, then mixing in nitrogen-rich melamine to fool quality tests for protein content.

Normally used to make plastics and fertilizer, melamine can cause kidney stones and kidney failure when ingested in large amounts. The discovery of melamine in dairy exports such as chocolate and yogurt triggered a slew of product recalls overseas.

In January, the court also sentenced Zhang Yujun, 40, to death for running a workshop that was allegedly China's largest source of melamine, said spokesman Wang Wei. A second man, Geng Jinping, was also given the death penalty for producing and selling toxic food.

Telephones at the Hebei high court were not answered Thursday evening.

[rrozsa]

I am so glad we as Americans have learned and progressed to a more higher level and give executives like this one a big bonus check for doing deeds such as these.
Posted by Harry_Snapperorgans at 5:34 AM : Mar 26, 2009

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For once we're on the same page, Mrs_Snap.

[sndkzyaa]

And thanks to Hillary, the Chinese now hold the mortgage on our country.

Good thing she decided not to discuss human rights, like the right to safe foods and safe workplaces, while she was in China.

Right before that coal mine explosion killed 70 workers...

But the free trade advocates see China as the model we should be forced to strive for in the USA.

When will we stop the insanity of free trade?

Are we going to wait until we really are like China here?

[SusanStoHelit]

Nice to see someone being truely held accountable. An error that they hid that caused deaths - life in prison is the minimum she should get.

[walt1944]

China has demonstrated once again that if you want justice done against corporate crime, simply send the corporate felons to China where a Chinese court will immediately render a GUILTY verdict and dispense justice immediately by sending the corporate crook(s) on a one-way trip to visit his/her/their ancestors.

Naturally, such things as appeals, mistrials, illegal evidence, and pardons do not exist in China since the sentence is carried out as quickly as possible. After all, why drag out such an unpleasent affair when the guilty party is, through his misdeeds, in a obviously great hurry to depart this earthly plane and meet with Chairman Mao, face to face!!!!

One can only wonder what the Chinese government would have done to someone like "Uncle Bernie" Madoff, or the out-of-touch (and out-of-mind!) corporate executives at AIG!

Here, "Uncle Bernie" is complaining about his 8 x 10 foot jail cell and the prison cuisine he finds uneatable. In China, he would have a 3 x 6 foot pine box, 5 feet underground, and no worries about uneatable cuisine!!! Something might be munching on him!!!

HAIL OBAMA!!!!

[quapawsix]

This might be the answer to wall street and their toxic assets

[omega39-2009]

In this country she would get her golden parachute and a six figure job in consultation.

[white_dog_crap]

if only american poisoners were treated with the same justice; mad cow disease and so forth.

[Chris_Butler]

You still have to ask the question as to how much damage has been done by toxic management in financial institutions and the potential charges they should face.

[johnb8888]

How about a similar sentence for the execs at KBR who are electrocuting our soldiers in Iraq!

Or maybe just up against the wall? The Chinese do that so well.

[timetrips1]

if only we held our own executives to such high standards!