Hospital embezzler sentenced to death
( 2001-11-01 01:33 ) (1 )

Shi Qiaoling, 48, former director of the hospitalization department of a tumour hospital in Beijing, was sentenced to death Wednesday for embezzling 11 million yuan (US$1.2 million) from the hospital, officials said.

According to the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court, Shi was in charge of the hospital's check-out for inpatients since the 1990s and had forged more than 1,000 checks from January 1996 to December 1999, acquiring 9 million yuan (US$1.1 million) from the hospital. So far, the court has retrieved only 150,000 yuan (US$18,000).

Shi also illegally diverted 3.8 million yuan (US$454,000) from the hospital into different bank accounts, the court said. The hospital has retrieved only half of these deposits.

In an interview, Shi denied embezzling any money. But she did admit diverting part of the hospital's money into banks for profit.

As part of the punishment, Shi was deprived of political rights for the remainder of her life and all her property was confiscated, the court said.

Sources said Shi would appeal to the high people's court. The court said Shi still had that right.

But if the higher court upholds the death sentence, she will be executed.

On a related note, Chen Yumei, an accomplice was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court.

The court will continue to help the hospital recover its money.

(China Daily by Zhang Yong)