China executes two in poisoned milked scandal

Two men in China have been executed for their role in the tainted milk scandal last year that killed at least six infants, made another 300,000 sick, and caused widespread panic in the country.

According to a statement issued by Shijiazhuang Intermediate People’s Court, Zhang Yujun, a farmer, was executed for endangering public safety. He was named by prosecutors as one of the “principal criminals”, guilty of producing more than 750 tons of milk powder laced with the chemical melamine. He then sold 600 tons of it to distributors for 6.83 million yuan.

Geng Jinping, a milk salesman, was executed for producing and selling toxic food. He was convicted of adding 434kg of powder containing melamine to around 900 tons of milk.

Melamine is a protein-like substance which is high in nitrogen. It is used primarily to make plastics and fertilisers, and can cause kidney stones or kidney failure among children if ingested. In an attempt to boost profits, sometimes producers water down the milk they obtain from cows, and add melamine in order to fool inspectors who test for protein content.

The milk then made their way for the production of infant formula, causing many children to be sick after drinking it.

The two men were among the 21 people tried and sentenced in January for involvement in the scandal. One person was handed down a suspended death sentence, and the other 18, including senior executives from Sanlu – a state-own producer of infant formula – were given prison sentences of between two years to life.

The Chinese government has been keen to be seen as having responded swiftly and decisively to the scandal, partly because of allegations it tried to cover up the problems until last year’s Beijing Olympics ended in late August. The first allegations surfaced in mid-July. Parents of affected children have since been offered compensation ranging from 2,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan, in exchange for not pursuing civil lawsuits.