<!-- Story Without Image / With eXtra Large Image End --> <table width="560" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" valign="top" width="550">Cake shop owner charged with bomb threat after breakup <!-- TITLE : end--> </td> </tr><tr></tr><tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top" width="550" align="left"> <table> <tbody><tr> <td> <table><tbody><tr><td>
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A Henan cake shop owner has been charged with placing two home-made bombs - one at a university entrance and the other on a bus - following the breakup of his relationship with his girlfriend. Xu Jie, a press officer of the Fengtai district court, told METRO on Sunday that the man, surnamed Yang, will stand trial within two weeks. If convicted of attempting to cause an explosion, Yang faces three to 10 years in prison. If there was an explosion that injured or killed people, or caused huge losses to business or property, the penalty would be from 10 years in prison to death, Xue said.
Yang, a junior high school graduate, started as an apprentice in a cake shop in Jiaozuo, Henan province, in 2001. In 2003, he opened his two cake shops. Around that time, he befriended a girl surnamed Feng, a sophomore at a university in Jiaozuo, Han Xue, a press officer from Fengtai procuratorate, said. They fell in love and were married according to local customs, but without receiving a legal marriage certificate, she said. Last year, their relationship deteriorated when Yang became suspicious that Feng was having an affair. They separated in October and one of the cake shops was transferred to Feng, Han said.
Yang was angry over this and began to resent the situation, Han said. He then planned to make bombs to create panic and vent his anger, Han said. In December, he succeeded in making two bombs. Han quoted Yang as saying: "I never learned how to make the bombs, but I think it appears to be the same way as making firecrackers." On Dec 17, Yang came to Beijing from Zhengzhou. Two days later, he allegedly placed a bomb outside the gate of the Chinese People's Public Security University and another in a black bag at the back of a No 50 double-deck bus departing from Beijing West Railway Station, Han said.
The conductor discovered the bag, with a small note, "Danger. Call 110" and a mobile phone card attached. Sniffer dogs were brought in and police defused the bomb after two hours, Han said. The phone card had a message that demanded 10 million yuan (S$2 million) be wired into a bank account, and threatened to place bombs in subways and public transport areas, Han said. On Dec 30, Yang was detained in Zhengzhou. Yang denies trying to extort money.
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