'Poison in cat-meat hotpot' kills tycoon

I guess there is more than one way to skin the cat!

This is one of those articles that I could not resist to post on my blog, the events that happened are wrong on so many levels to include those of the police.

'Poison in cat-meat hotpot' kills tycoon

Minnie Chan and Agence France-Presse Jan 04, 2012

Guangzhou police have detained a man suspected of murdering a billionaire tycoon by poisoning the cat meat hotpot they shared.

Huang Guang , deputy director of agriculture in Bajia township, was arrested on Friday by police investigating the death of Long Liyuan , also a Guangdong Provincial People's Congress representative, the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Long, who made his fortune running a forestry company in Guangdong, died on December 23 after sharing a dinner of cat meat hotpot - a local delicacy - with the suspect and a good friend, Huang Wen .

"Huang Guang, who was helping Long obtain a lease on a forest, had himself used funds provided by Long. This led to an economic dispute and gave Huang the idea to kill Long with poison," said a statement on the microblog of an official in Yangjiang , where the death occurred

Long's family and friends - including Huang Wen, who shared the hotpot - said they were shocked at the news. Long's family posted a 100,000 yuan (HK$122,000) reward last month for more information about the incident.

Huang Guang's family has rejected the allegation that he poisoned Long, saying Huang Guang also fell ill after eating the dish. The newspaper reported that cat bones were found on the suspect's plate.

Long was the first to fall ill, and the two Huangs also had to be rushed to hospital. The newspaper said Huang Guang had to receive dialysis to remove the toxins from his body. He was transferred from an intensive care unit back to a regular ward five days after the dinner. The other Huang also recovered.

The newspaper said police detained Huang Guang because of his financial dispute with Long.

A couple who run the hotpot restaurant said Huang Guang had lingered to make sure the cat meat was cooked and that he had asked the owner's wife to fetch wine for him.

Police suspect Huang Guang slipped a toxic herb, Gelsemium elegans, into the hotpot. Its smell may have been covered by other Chinese herbs used to cook the cat meat.

The newspaper said Long paid Huang at least 3.5 million yuan for various business-related services and other benefits, such as inside information on government projects, taking advantage of his official title.

Long's relatives alleged Huang had recently failed to help Long gain some important official tenders but still asked Long to pay him.

Police also found that Huang had recently been trying to raise more money to settle debts, the newspaper added.