Two criminals who masterminded the blowing up of two internet cafes in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, last May were executed on Saturday.

 

Sources with the Higher People's Court of Anhui Province identified the two as Lu Dongming and Lu Kuan.

 

Explosions ripped through two internet bars known as "Haoyu" and "Juxing" in Hefei on the night of May 5, causing two deaths and four injuries.

 

Three suspects, Lu Dongming, Lu Kuan and Lu Hong, were arrested a month after the explosion.

 

In a first-instance trial carried out by the Intermediate People's Court of Hefei City, Lu Dongming, convicted of bombing and extortion, was sentenced to death and deprived of his political rights for life.

 

Lu Kuan, also found guilty of bombing, was sentenced to death and deprived of his political rights for life.

 

Lu Hong, the third suspect in the accident, was also found guilty of the bombing but was given a prison term of 14 years. The three convicts were ordered to pay 260,000 yuan (about US$32,500) in compensation to the plaintiffs.

 

After the first-instance trial, Lu Kuan appealed to the Higher People's Court of Anhui Province. After a careful examination of the facts of the case, the higher court on Dec. 12 upheld the ruling handed down by the lower court.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2007)