Ye Jianming

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ye.
Ye Jianming
Born (1977-02-23) February 23, 1977 (age 47)[1]
Pucheng County, Fujian, China
OccupationEntrepreneur
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese葉簡明
Simplified Chinese叶简明
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYè Jiǎnmíng

Ye Jianming (Chinese: 叶简明; born 23 February 1977) is a Chinese businessman. He is the founder and former chairman of CEFC China Energy Company Limited, a now defunct company that used to be a Global Fortune 500 energy and finance conglomerate. He has been under detention in China since March 2018 on charges of bribery.[2]

Prior to its bankruptcy, CEFC China under Ye's leadership was ranked 229 on the Fortune Global 500 List in 2016 and had a workforce of over 30,000.[3] During his tenure, CEFC China funded the establishment of the Hong Kong–based think tank China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC), an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.[4]

In April 2015, Ye became an economic advisor to Czech president Miloš Zeman.[5]

CEFC bribes for oil

In November 2017, the U.S. Justice Department accused CEFC of offering a US$2 million bribe to the president of Chad for oil rights and, through its representatives, former Hong Kong secretary for home affairs Patrick Ho and former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Gadio, depositing a $500,000 bribe to an account designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda.[6] The energy fund denied authorising Ho to engage in corrupt practices.[7] In December 2018, Ho was convicted in a US federal court on seven counts of bribery and money laundering, following a trial in which Gadio stood as a witness for prosecutors.[8][9]

Investigation

Ye was detained and put under investigation in March 2018 on suspicion of economic crimes.[10] According to South China Morning Post and AsiaNews, the order for the investigation came from CCP general secretary Xi Jinping.[11][12] Shanghai Guosheng Group, a portfolio and investment agency controlled by the Government of Shanghai, subsequently took control of CEFC China Energy in March 2018.[13][14] In October 2018, it was reported that prosecutors alleged Wang Sanyun, former Communist Party Secretary of Gansu province, had accepted bribes from Ye Jianming in 2011.[15]

References

  1. ^ Chubb, Andrew (March 1, 2018). "Caixin's investigation of CEFC and Chairman Ye Jianming". Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. CEFC's website lists Ye Jianming's nationality as Hong Kong, China. Relevant documents show he possesses hukou for Shanghai and Jishou in Hunan Province, and was born on February 23, 1977, not June 5, 1977 as stated on the company site.
  2. ^ "Factbox: Chinese business tycoons, executives who disappeared from public view". Reuters. 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  3. ^ "CEFC China exerts brand influence with global deals - China - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
  4. ^ "CEFC Hong Kong Non-Governmental Fund Committee". October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20.
  5. ^ "Kdo je Jie Ťien-ming? 'Nejtajemnější čínský boháč' má údajně vazby i na čínskou vojenskou rozvědku" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 2018-03-20.
  6. ^ "US arrests Patrick Ho over alleged oil bribes". South China Morning Post. 21 November 2017.
  7. ^ Cheng, Kris (21 November 2017). "Explainer: Patrick Ho's bribery allegations – from top Hong Kong official to US police custody". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Ex-Hong Kong Official Convicted in Bribe Case Involving Chinese Oil Company". New York Times. 5 December 2018.
  9. ^ Lum, Alvin; Kazryan, Emma (2018-12-06). "Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping convicted in US court on 7 of 8 counts in bribery and money-laundering case". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  10. ^ "China's CEFC chairman investigated for suspected economic crimes:..." Reuters. 1 March 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
  11. ^ "China detains oil entrepreneur, wiping US$153 million off stocks". South China Morning Post. 1 March 2018.
  12. ^ "By order of Xi Jinping, powerful businessman Ye Jianming is arrested". www.asianews.it.
  13. ^ "China takes over nation's biggest private oil group in debt crackdown". South China Morning Post. 2 March 2018.
  14. ^ "China's CEFC taken over by Shanghai government agency: SCMP report". Reuters. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019 – via uk.reuters.com.
  15. ^ "China's CEFC founder Ye named in corruption case - state media". Reuters. 12 October 2018 – via af.reuters.com.