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| Chinese milk scam duo face death | Chinese milk scam duo face death |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China's contaminated milk scandal. | Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China's contaminated milk scandal. |
| The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment. | The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment. |
| They were among several sentences handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based. | They were among several sentences handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based. |
| The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300,000 ill. | The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300,000 ill. |
| Families of the victims are weary of another food scandal, and more hollow reassurances The BBC's Quentin Sommerville Little comfort in verdictsChina voices: 'This is justice' It led to product recalls across the globe, and further damaged China's reputation for producing safe and reliable products, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says. | Families of the victims are weary of another food scandal, and more hollow reassurances The BBC's Quentin Sommerville Little comfort in verdictsChina voices: 'This is justice' It led to product recalls across the globe, and further damaged China's reputation for producing safe and reliable products, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says. |
| At home, the scandal left parents terrified and caused outrage across the country, coming only four years after an earlier milk powder scandal which left 13 babies dead, he adds. | At home, the scandal left parents terrified and caused outrage across the country, coming only four years after an earlier milk powder scandal which left 13 babies dead, he adds. |
| Victims' relatives protested outside the courthouse in Shijiazhuang on Thursday. Some said they had been prevented from attending the trial by authorities anxious to contain anger over the affair. | Victims' relatives protested outside the courthouse in Shijiazhuang on Thursday. Some said they had been prevented from attending the trial by authorities anxious to contain anger over the affair. |
| Illegal workshop | Illegal workshop |
| The most senior figure to be sentenced was Tian Wenhua, who was chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the largest producer of baby milk powder. | The most senior figure to be sentenced was Tian Wenhua, who was chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the largest producer of baby milk powder. |
| MELAMINE SCANDAL 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province15 Sept: Beijing confirms first deaths from the contamination22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to tens of thousands - and eventually will rise to almost 300,00023 Sept: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops31 Oct: Chinese media suggest melamine is routinely added to animal feed24 Dec: The main dairy firm involved, Sanlu, is declared bankrupt 31 Dec: Four senior Sanlu executives go on trial2 Jan:Firms involved ask for forgiveness in a mass New Year text message22 Jan: A court in China begins handing down sentences In pictures: China's milk scandalTimeline: China milk scandal | MELAMINE SCANDAL 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province15 Sept: Beijing confirms first deaths from the contamination22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to tens of thousands - and eventually will rise to almost 300,00023 Sept: Other countries start to test Chinese dairy products or remove them from shops31 Oct: Chinese media suggest melamine is routinely added to animal feed24 Dec: The main dairy firm involved, Sanlu, is declared bankrupt 31 Dec: Four senior Sanlu executives go on trial2 Jan:Firms involved ask for forgiveness in a mass New Year text message22 Jan: A court in China begins handing down sentences In pictures: China's milk scandalTimeline: China milk scandal |
| When the scandal broke in September, it emerged that Sanlu had known it was selling toxic milk - and allowed around 900 tonnes of it to leave its dairies. | When the scandal broke in September, it emerged that Sanlu had known it was selling toxic milk - and allowed around 900 tonnes of it to leave its dairies. |
| It was only when its New Zealand partner intervened that production stopped. | It was only when its New Zealand partner intervened that production stopped. |
| Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard produce in December. | Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard produce in December. |
| The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang gave her a life sentence and ordered her to pay a fine of 20m yuan ($2.9m). | The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang gave her a life sentence and ordered her to pay a fine of 20m yuan ($2.9m). |
| Sanlu itself was fined 50m yuan ($7.3m), Xinhua news agency reports, even though the firm has been declared bankrupt. | Sanlu itself was fined 50m yuan ($7.3m), Xinhua news agency reports, even though the firm has been declared bankrupt. |
| Earlier the court sentenced cattle farmer Zhang Yujun and milk trader Geng Jinping to death. | Earlier the court sentenced cattle farmer Zhang Yujun and milk trader Geng Jinping to death. |
| Zhang Yujun was accused of running an illegal workshop in Shandong province in eastern China, producing 600 tonnes of the fake protein powder - the largest source of melamine in the country. | Zhang Yujun was accused of running an illegal workshop in Shandong province in eastern China, producing 600 tonnes of the fake protein powder - the largest source of melamine in the country. |
| Geng Jinping was convicted of producing and selling toxic products to dairy companies from his milk production base. | Geng Jinping was convicted of producing and selling toxic products to dairy companies from his milk production base. |
| One other person received a suspended death sentence, two were jailed for life and six - including three former Sanlu executives - were jailed for between five and 15 years for their part in the scandal, Xinhua news agency reports. | One other person received a suspended death sentence, two were jailed for life and six - including three former Sanlu executives - were jailed for between five and 15 years for their part in the scandal, Xinhua news agency reports. |
| Huge anger | Huge anger |
| All together, 22 companies sold contaminated milk, which had been supplied by a chain of melamine producers and middlemen. Sanlu's Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing | All together, 22 companies sold contaminated milk, which had been supplied by a chain of melamine producers and middlemen. Sanlu's Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing |
| The dealers added the industrial chemical to boost the apparent protein content of milk, which had often been watered down to make more money. | The dealers added the industrial chemical to boost the apparent protein content of milk, which had often been watered down to make more money. |
| Major dairy companies bought the milk from such dealers, failing to test the milk for purity and nutritional value. | Major dairy companies bought the milk from such dealers, failing to test the milk for purity and nutritional value. |
| The result was widespread poisoning of babies, the group most vulnerable to tainted milk as it was their only food source. | The result was widespread poisoning of babies, the group most vulnerable to tainted milk as it was their only food source. |
| Kidney damage was reported in hundreds of thousands of people. At least six babies were killed by it. | |
| The government has scrambled to fight off allegations that it reacted slowly to the crisis, by pledging to improve food safety standards and promising to bring the culprits of the scandal to court. | The government has scrambled to fight off allegations that it reacted slowly to the crisis, by pledging to improve food safety standards and promising to bring the culprits of the scandal to court. |
| But families of the victims say China's lack of openness, public accountability and official corruption mean they have little faith that similar poisonings will not happen again, our correspondent reports. | But families of the victims say China's lack of openness, public accountability and official corruption mean they have little faith that similar poisonings will not happen again, our correspondent reports. |
| Are you in China? What do you think of the sentences handed down to those involved in the scandal? Did you consume or were you affected by contaminated milk? | Are you in China? What do you think of the sentences handed down to those involved in the scandal? Did you consume or were you affected by contaminated milk? |