BEIJING -- The execution was as swift as it was unexpected. It also sent shock waves through China's bureaucracy and led to a flurry of self-initiated confessions of accepting bribes.
The speedy execution of Lai Xiaomin, former chairman of China Huarong Asset Management, in January after he was found guilty of accepting 1.79 billion yuan ($279 million) in bribes rattled bureaucrats for the breaking of an unwritten rule against carrying out death sentences for bribery or other financial crimes.
