A Chinese court has ordered the death penalty for two businessmen and life sentences for three others who were accused of murdering billionaire Zhou Zubao in east China's Zhejiang Province early last year.

The Intermediate People's Court of Wenzhou on Thursday sentenced Yang Jinfu to death after a trial held on May 19 and 20. His younger brother, Yang Jiafu, also received a death sentence, but he was given a two-year reprieve.

The court ordered life imprisonment for Zhou's three business partners -- Wang Weijian and Tu Jin'an from Zhejiang Province and Yu Cunjun from the northwestern Shaanxi Province -- on charges of intentional homicide.

Zhou had planned to open a supermarket with Wang and Tu in Fengtai District of southern Beijing in March 1998, said the court.

But conflicts emerged at the preparatory stage, so Wang and Tu wanted to quit from the project and get back the 1.9 million yuan (US$229,750) they had invested. Zhou rejected.

In December 1998, Wang and Tu pretended to transfer their shares of the supermarket to Yang Jinfu and asked Yang to extort the sum from Zhou, and promised Yang he would be well paid if the money was drawn back.

After failing to get the money back, Yang and his brother hired thugs who attempted to take over the supermarket by force in November 1999.

Zhou's nephew Zhou Jianbo, vice-manager of the market, was killed in the conflict. Yang escaped from the area.

Wang and Tu paid Yang and his men more than 300,000 yuan (US$36,280) after the incident. The three decided to slay Zhou Zubao in November 2002, as Zhou had demanded repeatedly that local police deal with his nephew's killing.

Yang Jinfu, who was promised 500,000 yuan (US$60,460) for the killing, stabbed Zhou to death on February 12, 2003 in collusion with Yu Cunjun and Zhu Zhijin.

Zhu Zhijin was sentenced to 20 years of jail term, according to the court verdict.

The court also sentenced Lin Yuwei and Yang Yaoxin to 10 years and three years, respectively, for being accessories to the crime.

The seven defendants were also ordered to pay a total of 274, 526 yuan (US$33,075) in compensation to Zhou's family.

Zhou, 50, was former chairman of the board of Beijing-based Zhaodisheng Trade Co.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2004)