China sentences GSK-linked investigators to prison

China sentenced a British corporate investigator to 2-1/2 years in prison on Friday for illegally obtaining private records of Chinese citizens and selling the information on to clients including drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc. 

Peter Humphrey and his American wife, Yu Yingzeng, who ran risk consultancy ChinaWhys, were tried in a Shanghai court. They said they were unaware such acts were criminal. 

In a late evening verdict, the court said it found Humphrey and Yu guilty and handed Yu a slightly more lenient sentence of two years in jail. Humphrey was fined 200,000 yuan (19,375.26 pound), while Yu was fined 150,000 yuan. 

According to a statement read out by a court official at a press conference, Humphrey will be deported. The court gave no further details about that aspect of the judgment. 

"The two defendants illegally collected Chinese citizens' information over a long period of time and on many occasions. They collected a large amount of data and had also used illegal means, including investigative methods," said Tang Liming, vice-president of Shanghai No.1 People's Intermediate Court. (Más)

Ver también:

2001 "A GSK China Odyssey..." / El inicio de la "saga_cidad".