A Chinese mining tycoon who went missing a year ago will go on trial in central China along with 35 other people on charges of “organising, leading and participating in Mafia-like groups”, after his brother was accused of gunning down three people in their home town.
Liu Han, chairman of Sichuan-based Hanlong Group, was a high-flying millionaire who was in the process of a A$1.4bn bid for Australian-listed Sundance Resources when state media reported last March that he and his wife had been detained.
Liu was the biggest private entrepreneur in his native Sichuan province, with investments spanning financing, energy, real estate and mining. He had a fortune of $650m, according to estimates by Hurun Report, which tracks wealthy Chinese.