63 employees of BYD were poisoned, and a section chief pleaded guilty.

　　Core tip:A major poisoning case that caused 2 deaths and 63 hospitalizations of BYD employees was opened on the 20th. Zhu Yuanlin, the boss of BYD’s back door new market, Zhang Zhenhua, a section chief, Ke Bizhi and Wang Yingde, fellow villagers in Hubei, Zhang Zhenhua, were charged with the crime of releasing dangerous substances, and Zhu Yuanlin was also charged with the crime of suspected illegal business operation.

There are also sporadic ghost stalls at the accident site. Photo by Ding Wei

　　A major poisoning case that caused 2 deaths and 63 hospitalizations of BYD employees was opened in Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court on the 20th. Zhu Yuanlin, the owner of BYD’s back door new market, Zhang Zhenhua, a section chief of BYD Company, Ke Bizhi and Wang Yingde, fellow villagers of Hubei Province, Zhang Zhenhua, were charged with the crime of releasing dangerous substances, and Zhu Yuanlin was also charged with the crime of suspected illegal business operation. Except Zhu Yuanlin, all three others pleaded guilty.

　　Event playback

　　At 11: 00 a.m. on February 23rd this year, 65 BYD employees who had finished breakfast showed symptoms of poisoning in the back door market of BYD factory. Among them, 2 died after being rescued, 19 were hospitalized and 42 were under medical observation. The incident was identified as nitrite poisoning. After investigation by the police, it was confirmed that the case was deliberately poisoned.

　　Allegations: In July, 2007, 33-year-old Zhu Yuanlin jointly built a new market on Baoping Road next to BYD Company in Baolong Industrial Zone, longgang town. Because an old market nearby had a competitive relationship with him, Zhu held a grudge against the old market. At the end of 2007, he was introduced to Zhang Zhenhua and Zhang Zhenhua of BYD Company, who intended to operate an ice rink in the new market. In exchange for exempting the rent of 500,000 yuan, Zhu agreed and instructed Zhang to use poisoning and other means to urge the government to dismantle the old market. Zhang Zhenhua agreed. On February 20th this year, Zhu and Zhang signed the relevant agreement, which stipulated that if Zhang Zhenhua could clear the old market before March 18th, 2008, it would be free of rent of 500,000 yuan.

　　Zhang Zhenhua immediately found his fellow villager Ke Bizhi to run a skating rink in partnership, and discussed ways to dismantle the old market. Ke Bizhi learned that nitrite can cause diarrhea through inquiry, so he decided with Zhang to put nitrite into the food stalls in the old market. After that, Ke bought a bottle of nitrite in a chemical shop next to Longgang bus station in Shenhui Road, dissolved it and put it in two plastic bottles, and called his fellow villager Wang Yingde to tell him what happened and asked Wang to help him put nitrite out.

　　In the early morning of February 23, 2008, Wang Yingde put in nitrite prepared in advance at the food stall in the old market. On the morning of the same day, the people who ate at the stalls poisoned by Wang Yingde had symptoms of poisoning. On the day of the incident, the old market was demolished, but after the police detected the case, the new market covering an area of more than 5,000 square meters was also demolished.

　　Who planned the poisoning?

　　At 3 pm yesterday, four defendants appeared in the criminal court of Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court. Except Zhu Yuanlin, all three defendants pleaded guilty. Zhu Yuanlin denied that he had instigated the poisoning. "Zhang Zhenhua wants something from me, saying that he can get rid of the old market. How can I teach him the method?" Zhang Zhenhua and Ke Bizhi said that Zhu Yuanlin said more than once that "to get rid of the old market, no matter what means, it is best to do something about hygiene, even if it is’ diarrhea’".

　　Zhang Zhenhua and Ke Bizhi are fellow villagers. They have opened stores and sold mobile phones and restaurants together, but their business is average. This time, I wanted to run the skating rink in partnership, and then something happened. The former good friends passed the buck to each other in court.

　　Wang Yingde, the direct poisoner, said in court that he was working in Ke Bizhi’s restaurant at that time, and he did so out of the loyalty of his buddies. Wang Yingde also said that after the incident, Zhang Zhenhua called him to flee to Myanmar.

　　The prosecution also supplemented Zhu Yuanlin with the crime of illegal business operation yesterday. According to the prosecution, he was suspected of collaborating with others to illegally develop shops, and rented them out, and charged tenants more than 1.4 million yuan in rent. Zhu Yuanlin pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal business operation.

　　A family member of the deceased and an injured person entrusted their agents to claim more than 800,000 yuan and 170,000 yuan of criminal incidental civil compensation respectively.

　　The case is still under further investigation. (Author: Sun Ying trainee reporter Qu Guangning Du Xiaotian)

Editor: Zhao Xuanxuan