The Shaanxi farmer-hunter accused of faking a photograph of a rare South China tiger will go on public trial tomorrow amid speculation that he may reveal the names of his accomplices.
The Xunyang County People's Court issued a notice on Wednesday announcing the trial of Zhou Zhenglong , who faces a charge of fraud and owning guns and ammunition illegally, Xinhua reported.
A Mr Wang, the director of the court office, was quoted by China. com as saying that more than 100 media organisations were planning to cover the trial. Therefore, 'any media outlet that wants to attend the hearing has to apply through the propaganda department to undergo a qualification check, mainly to see if they're a formal media outlet, and the department will issue its approval accordingly'.
The photographs were purportedly snapped in the wild near Zhou's home. The hunter collected a 20,000 yuan (HK$22,825) reward, and local officials started planning for a tourism boom. Police announced it was a hoax in late June, and although 13 officials were sacked or disciplined, it is only Zhou who faces criminal charges.
Activist lawyer Hao Jingsong , who brought a claim against Zhou to expose the scam, said he believed Zhou was a scapegoat and the case probably involved officials who wanted to profit from developing the area into a tourist attraction.
Mr Hao said he had applied twice to attend the hearing, but was told the court was full. 'The so-called public trial is just a lie,' he said.
