A court in China has handed down lengthy jail terms to the first six defendants sentenced over Shanghai's multi-million dollar pension fund scandal, state media reported on Sunday. Zhu Junyi, former director of Shanghai's labour and social security bureau, was handed 18 years in jail for his role in the city's biggest graft scandal, Caijing financial magazine said.
Millions of dollars of public money were allegedly misused in speculative real estate and highway projects in the scandal. The court in the northern city of Changchun also handed two business executives, Wu Minglie and Han Guozhang, life in prison for their parts in the scandal, it said, adding that the court announced the sentences Sunday.
The politically charged scandal erupted in July last year and has led to the arrest of more than 20 government officials and businessmen.