A 63-YEAR-OLD man stood trial Monday for allegedly cheating 7.5 million yuan (US$1.21 million) out of a woman by promising to get her husband a shorter or a suspended jail term, local newspapers reported yesterday.

    The man, Wang Tiansheng, an unemployed Hainan native, promised to help Li Dingrong, a former deputy director with the Shajing Subdistrict Office in Bao’an District, to get a shorter jail term or suspended term through his connections. Li was detained after investigations in October 2012 for allegedly taking bribes.

    Li’s wife, identified as Zhong, was introduced to Wang through a friend and paid him 7.5 million yuan for his promised services. However, Li was still convicted of corruption and sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in jail in June 2014 by Huizhou Intermediate People’s Court.

    Zhong brought Wang to court after she found out that she had been cheated.

    Zhong’s statement showed Ye Zhiqiong, a friend of Li, contacted her after Li was probed, asking if she needed help. Ye then contacted Wang, who demanded 6 million yuan and promised a suspended jail term for Li through his connections.

    Wang demanded another 1.5 million yuan as Li’s crimes included other counts such as involvement in mafia-type organizations and having mistresses, besides taking bribes.

    Zhong then transferred a total of 7.5 million yuan between December 2012 and October 2013 into Wang’s bank accounts.

    At the trial, Wang admitted that he took 7.5 million yuan from Zhong, but insisted he had transferred 5 million yuan and given another 2 million yuan in cash to his connection Li, a retired official in Hainan, who claimed his son worked in the Shenzhen city government and could help.

    Yet evidences from prosecutors showed Wang transferred 5 million yuan to his connection Li’s account, but also transferred some money from the account to pay his debts and purchase an apartment for his son.

    The investigation revealed that Wang and his connection Li jointly shared the account.

    Zhong claimed Wang lied to her and wasn’t aware that Li had been sentenced to jail even after she had received the verdict letter from court.

    Zhong reported it to police after Wang refused to give a refund. Wang was caught by Shenzhen police in November last year in Hainan. Wang’s connection Li is still at large.

    (Han Ximin, Fan Feixuan)