Accomplice in kidnapping appeals prison sentence

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-08 09:53

An accomplice in the kidnapping of a millionaire's daughter has appealed his 10-year prison sentence.

A hearing for Fu Wei, who filed an appeal with the Beijing No 2 Intermediate Court, is scheduled to be held soon, a court official said.

Fu is a middle school classmate of Liu Yong, 35, of Beijing, a driver of an unlicensed taxi at the time of the kidnapping.

Zhang Yalin, judge of the Fengtai district criminal tribunal, told METRO yesterday that both were convicted of kidnapping in late January.

The court sentenced Liu to 13 years in prison. After the sentencing, Liu did not appeal his verdict.

Fu said he should have been convicted of illegal detention, not of kidnapping,

"The sentences are too heavy, and I appeal for a lenient sentence," Fu told the court.

Individuals convicted of illegal detention face a sentence of less than three years, unless the victim dies. If that occurs, such offenders are sentenced from three years to life imprisonment, Zhang said.

On Sept 14, 2009, Chen Zheng, 41, a shareholder in a trade center in Dahongmen area, Fengtai district, received a disturbing telephone call during a lunch with friends at a hotel near the Zhujiang junjing community, Zhang said.

Chen's telephone displayed his daughter's phone number, Zhang said, but an unknown man said: "You listen, your daughter is in my hands. I want two million yuan for ransom" and then hung up.

Chen, shocked, immediately called home to confirm whether Chen Wen, his 19-year-old daughter, was at home. No one answered the call, Zhang said.

Chen called his daughter's cell phone number and Liu answered. Chen asked for his daughter. When she spoke, she said only "Father", then began crying. Zhang said.

Chen agreed to meet Liu's request for ransom.

The man replied, "We will give you two hours to prepare the two million yuan ransom, and I will release her after getting the money," Zhang said.

An anxious Chen called two friends and discussed how to rescue his daughter with them.

They suggested reporting the kidnapping to the police, but Chen resolutely opposed that tack out of fear his daughter would be killed.

Chen then collected 1.2 million yuan and bargained with the kidnappers, who agreed to reduce the ransom to that amount. Chen's driver, surnamed Jiang, immediately went ahead to give them money, Zhang said.

Meanwhile, one of Chen's two friends, surnamed Wang, secretly reported the incident to Fengtai district police.

The cunning kidnappers kept changing their locations, and after moving to three spots told Chen to meet at Manshui bridge, 500 m west of the west bank of Liangshui River, said Zhang.

On the kidnappers' order, Jiang put the money on the bridge. While doing so Jiang noticed a man in white clothing on the opposite side squatting on the grass and watching with binoculars, Zhang said.

That same evening, Chen's daughter was found three kilometers away from the bridge.

The following day, Sept 15, the two kidnappers were arrested by the police.