20 convicted following gold-ransom kidnap

Three kidnappers and 17 accomplices have been convicted of holding a businessman hostage and demanding a ransom of gold bars worth 50 million yuan (8.14 million US dollars), a court said Friday.

Zhang Jingguang, Lai Yijin and Lai Changjin, who plotted and participated in kidnapping the businessman Zhang, a member of Shenzhen City People's Congress, received the death penalty with two years' reprieve, life imprisonment, and 15 years in jail respectively at Shenzhen City Intermediate People's Court on Thursday.

The three were convicted of robbery, as they had tried to acquire others' assets by force.

The other 17 accomplices were given sentences ranging from one year and three months to four years.

After the ruling, several of them, including Zhang Jingguang, said they would file an appeal.

The court found the three kidnappers plotted the kidnapping in July 2013 before taking Zhang hostage at 9 a.m. on Sep. 23, 2013. He was not released until 7:30 p.m. on the same day when his driver brought 185 kg of gold bars to the three kidnappers. Total value of the bars reached 48.72 million yuan.

Police caught all 20 members of the gang one month later and retrieved all the gold bars.