An employee surnamed Gan, who was born in the 1980s at a garment factory in Chancheng District, had a dispute with the factory over 60 yuan of salary. He then set fire to the factory out of spite and later threatened to set fire again to extort money from the factory. Yesterday, it was learned from the People's Procuratorate of Chancheng District that on January 12 this year, the court of Chancheng District adopted the charges brought by the procuratorial organs and made a first-instance judgment on the case. Gan was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for arson and extortion, and fined 1000 yuan.
It is understood that Gan, male, 22 years old, is from Hezhou City, Guangxi. In mid-August 2011, Gan worked at a garment factory in Guofang Industrial Zone, Chancheng District. On his first day of work, because the clothes he made did not meet the requirements, the factory master asked him to rework twice. Gan became impatient and said he would leave the factory and demanded that the factory pay him more than 60 yuan for one day's work. However, the factory refused to pay him because he did not finish the work. Afterwards, Gan went to the factory many times to demand payment but was rejected each time.
At around 7 p.m. on September 14 last year, Gan went to the factory again to ask for his salary but was refused. He then found a beer bottle and gasoline, made a petrol bomb, lit it and threw it at the place where fabrics and clothes were stored, and fled the scene immediately.
The workshop employees discovered the fire and worked together to put out the fire. However, more than 100 pieces (bolts) of fabric, finished and semi-finished clothes were destroyed. The next day, Gan called the garment factory and extorted money - "Now give me 6800 yuan, otherwise I will burn down the factory 68 more times". Gan also specified that the factory master Ye should give him the money at the trading center square of Tongfu City. The factory pretended to agree and reported the incident to the police station. The police then moved in and caught Gan.
The procuratorial organs believed that Gan ignored national laws and carried out arson, endangering public safety. His behavior constituted the crime of arson; at the same time, Gan intended to illegally possess property and attempted to extort others' property, which constituted the crime of extortion.