The four employees of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto charged in China with bribery and stealing trade secrets were found guilty on Monday (29 March) and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7 to 14 years. The four immediately were dismissed by Rio Tinto, according to the Australian Associated Press; their actions were described by the company as “deplorable.”
The most senior of the four, Australian citizen Stern Hu, was sentenced to 10 years in prison – five years for bribery, and five for stealing trade secrets, according to the official Xinhua news agency. He was also fined YUAN1m (£97,000). Hu is the former head of Rio Tinto’s iron ore sales team in China.
