Vincent and Anne Wu outside a Chinese Court
The Chinese government is set to put U.S. citizen Vincent Wu on trial on 10 different charges. According to The Guardian, Chinese officials are accusing Vincent Wu of operating illegal casinos and heading a “violent mob” to maintain his business operations.
The Chinese court system has rejected Wu’s American citizenship, saying he and his associates kidnapped rivals. Meanwhile, Mr. Wu says he was tortured into confessing his guilt to these charges. According to Wu’s family, corrupt officials have framed him so they could seize his assets.
Several of the charges against Vincent Wu are inflammatory. He is accused of having his people set fire to the Chinese farmers’ sheds in order to clear land for his casino development, after the farmers refused compensation to clear off the land. Wu also is accused of hiring a man to throw acid in the face of a Chinese judge, because the judge ruled against him in a lawsuit.
In several other instances, Wu and his associates are accused of violent assaults on rivals who came to cross purposes with him. In several instances, people allegedly have been kidnapped in order to send a message or force a decision by opponents. In all, Chinese authorities say Vincent Wu made $7.8 million off his illegal gambling operations.
Vincent Wu’s Dual Citizenship
Vincent Wu holds dual citizenship in China and the United States. Before his arrest in June 2012, he shuttled back and forth between his business in China and his family home in Los Angeles.
Since then, Wu has appealed to have access to the U.S. Consulate in China, but the officials there have denied that request. They deny his dual citizenship, saying he used his Chinese passport when entering the country last through Hong Kong. Two consular figures representing Washington D.C. have asserted his citizenship, but their claims were denied in a Chinese court.
Vincent Wu Allegedly Tortured while in Captivity
Meanwhile, Vincent Wu claims through his lawyers that he has been tortured while in custody. He claims he was beaten and kicked by his jailors in an attempt to coerce a confession, and later was strung by his arms from a ceiling beam. Li Zhuang, Wu’s legal counselor, said two U.S. consular officials attended Monday’s court hearing.
When the trial opened, it was the first time in 2 years the Wu had seen his family. His daughter, Anne, said he got emotional at their reunion. Despite the harshness of his incarceration, Wu’s lawyers hope to get their client released. Anne Wu, Vincent’s daughter, said via phone in Guangzhou that the family holds out hope for their father’s release. “We are still very confident because our lawyers have all the evidence to prove that he is innocent. We believe we still have a chance and so we’ll hope for the best.”
Anne went on to say her father’s fate depended on establishing his American citizenship, which could change the sentencing phase of the trial dramatically. The legal team sees optimism in the fact the court allowed U.S. officials in the court room, because this indicates a certain willingness to cede his extralegal status. Though the Ministry of Public Security ruled that the businessman is fully Chinese, this does not mean the court system will see the case the same way. Anne Wu said, “We must prove that he is a American citizen, otherwise the whole sentencing is going to be different.”
34 People on Trial on Similar Charges
Despite getting all the attention from news sources as wide ranging as the AP News, Fox News, and Al Jazeera, Vincent Wu is not the only person on trial before the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court. In all, 34 people are being placed on trial in Guangzhou. While in an American court, one might see danger in having 33 other alleged accomplices who might turn states evidence to get a lighter sentence, this does not appear to be a pivotal matter in the case.When reading the family’s quotes and the statements of their lawyers, it would seem they believe the Chinese authorities have decided before the trial starts whether they believe Wu is guilty or not. Everything depends on the ruling on Wu’s citizenship status.
Wu’s History in China
Vincent Wu left China as a stowaway in the late 1970’s, immigrating first to Hong Kong. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles in the United States, where he gained citizenship.
Whatever the outcome of the case, Vincent Wu’s legal jeopardy casts light on the Chinese legal system. Experts say foreign businessmen often cozy up to the local police through bribery, using this relationship to ruin rivals. In some instances, their actions become increasingly brazen, as they begin to feel they are above the law.
