Man responsible for CCTV fire gets extended sentence

2011-12-27 16:18 Ecns.cn

Web Editor: Yuan Hang comment

A blaze caused by fireworks engulfed CCTV's new office building on February 9, 2009, causing 160 million yuan in losses.

Beijing (CNS) –The man most responsible for the fire at China Central Television's (CCTV's) tower in 2009 has received an extended prison sentence for corruption.

Xu Wei, the former head of the construction office for CCTV's new headquarters, had been sentenced to seven years in prison for causing the fire by staging an illegal fireworks show at the tower construction site.

However, upon renewal of the judgment released on December 26, Xu's imprisonment was increased to 20 years for corruption during his employment at CCTV.

According to the ruling, Xu embezzled 3.22 million yuan from two subsidiary companies of CCTV from July 2005 to July 2007. In 2008, he also asked for 1 million yuan in bribe money from a construction company that had been assigned a project from CCTV.

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