Ex-Chinese legislator in court for promoting prostitution

A five-star hotel owner and former national legislator went on trial along with 46 others in south China's Guangdong province for their alleged involvement in promoting prostitution and making millions of dollars.
Liang Yaohui, and his 46 hotel employees, were accused of arranging prostitutes, including underage girls, in Crown Prince Hotel in Dongguan City since 2004, according to Dongguan Intermediate People's Court.
The hotel made about 48.7 million yuan (USD 7.8 million) by organising over 1,00,000 illegal sexual acts in 2013, according to the court, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.
The city, which is about 80 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Guangzhou, is famous for casinos, bath houses and massage parlors.

In February last year, Liang's hotel was shut down together with some other hotels and entertainment venues involved in sex trade in Dongguan after media exposed the city's sex business.
The scandal was followed by a three-month crackdown on prostitution in Guangdong.

Liang was stripped of the title as a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, after being detained in April last year.
Prostitution has been outlawed in China since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
According to Chinese laws, organising prostitution can result in life in prison or even death penalty.