Statement of the Dawu Legal Team on the Verdict and Sentences in the Dawu Case

By admin On Jul 28, 2021

Dawu Legal Team, July 28, 2021

*Dawu Legal Team in front of the Gaobeidian courthouse* *on July 28, 2021.*

On the afternoon of July 28, 2021, after 14 consecutive days of trial, the Gaobeidian Municipal Court of Baoding City, Hebei Province, pronounced the verdict and sentences in the Dawu case in court. Sun Dawu was sentenced to 18 years in prison and the Dawu Group was fined more than 1 billion yuan for the recovery and return of funds from “illegal financing.” The other 19 defendants in the same case were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of varying lengths, ranging from one year to 12 years.

In response, the Dawu Legal Team stated as follows:

1. From the unlawful “residential surveillance at a designated location” of Sun Dawu and others by the public security bureau during its investigation, to the court’s rush to push the case forward after it accepted the matter, to the high-intensity, exhausting trial during which most of the 14 consecutive trial days exceeded 12 hours a day, and finally, to announce a verdict in court in a complex case involving nine criminal charges and more than 20 contested facts all show that this is not a normal legal trial.

2. We are very disappointed and regret that the Gaobeidian Municipal Court ignored the opinions of most of the lawyers’ “not guilty” defense of their clients and copied the procuratorate’s indictment to determine guilt on all charges.

3. In light of the fact that multiple defendants proclaimed their innocence in court, we will continue to provide legal services in the Dawu case, assisting the parties to lodge appeals, file applications for retrial, etc., until all legal procedures are completed and all possible legal measures are exhausted.

4. We thank people from all walks of life at home and abroad for paying attention to the Dawu case. We earnestly request everyone to continue to pay attention to the Dawu case, and to pay attention to the environment for the survival and development of Chinese private enterprises, as well as the situation of human rights and rule of law in China.

Dawu Legal Team

July 28, 2021, on the day the first-instance trial verdict was announced

Sentences in the Dawu Case

From 9:00 a.m. on July 15, 2021 until 4 p.m. on July 28, 2021, after 14 days of trial, the verdict in the Dawu case was pronounced in court:

Dawu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Group Co., Ltd.: fined 30.5 million yuan, recovery of illegally obtained income amounted to 14.4754 million yuan in accordance with the law, and the Dawu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Group Co., Ltd. was ordered to refund illegally raised funds in the amount of RMB 1.037 billion.

Sun Dawu (孙大午): 18 years fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 3.11 million yuan;

Sun Meng (孙萌, Sun Dawu’s older son): 12 years fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 1.9 million yuan;

Sun Dehua (孙德华，Sun Dawu’s younger brother): 12 years fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 510,000 yuan;

Sun Zhihua (孙志华, Sun Dawu’s younger brother): 9 years fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 550,000 yuan;

[The rest are Dawu Group’s senior executives]

Zhang Ping (张平): 4 years and 6 months fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 100,000 yuan;

Liu Ping (刘平): 3 years and 6 months fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 950,000 yuan;

Xu Laifu (许来福): 2 years and 3 months fixed-term imprisonment;

Lu Zhiying (卢志英): 4 years and 5 months fixed-term imprisonment, and a fine of 300,000 yuan;

Jin Fengyu (靳凤羽): 1 year and 7 months fixed-term imprisonment, suspended for 2 years;

Li Dahong (李大红): 2 years fixed-term imprisonment;

Zhang Yanhui (张艳会): 1 year and 9 months fixed-term imprisonment and a fine of 40,000 yuan;