Shijiazhuang Bombing Suspect Put on Trial

"3.16" Explosion Case Put on Trial

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Prosecutors in North China's Hebei Province started Tuesday litigation against Jin Ruchao, chief suspect behind a series of deadly explosions in the province's capital city in March which killed 108.

Jin, 41 years old, was accused of the five early morning bombings on March 16 that also injured 38 people living in residential buildings of Shijiazhuang's No 3 Cotton Textile Mill.

Jin was arrested some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away in southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region eight days later.

Jin was being publicly tried in the Shijiazhuang intermediate court, along with three others who sold him explosives and detonators for the bombings, the prosecutors said.

The blasts occurred within an hour of each other, when most of the victims were still in bed.

Wang Yuchun and Qiu Fengqin were accused of selling Jin 980 yuan (US$112) worth of ammonia nitrate from their illegal explosives factory on March 14, while Hu Shaohong was accused of selling Jin 50 detonators and 20 paper fuses for 33 yuan in June 2000.

Prosecutors also accused Jin of the March 9 murder of his lover Wei Zhihua in southern Yunnan Province near the border with Vietnam, it said, indicating that Jin's trial would also include the murder.



Source: chinadaily.com.cn