Death for Chinese man who killed beggar for organs

BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) - A Chinese villager has been sentenced to death for killing a beggar and selling his organs to a hospital, local media reported today.

Wang Chaoyang, from the northern province of Heibei, kidnapped beggar Tong Gefei and strangled him late last year, the Beijing Times said.

''He lied to the doctors, claiming the body was that of an executed prisoner, and asked them to take out the kidney and liver,'' the newspaper quoted the court indictment as saying.

After the doctors performed the operation, they reported the case to police.

Police arrested Wang in November but three accomplices were still at large, the newspaper said, adding that the doctors did not face charges because they did not know about the murder.

Wang had earned 14,800 yuan (2,000 dollars) from the sales, it added.

Regulations banning human organ trade in China took effect on May 1, but rights groups have accused local hospitals of turning to lucrative organ sales and transplants to raise funds and say many of the organs come from executed prisoners.

There are about 2 million people in China who need transplants each year, but only around 20,000 operations are carried out because of shortages, state media have said.

REUTERS GT KP1436