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Founder of Chinese company behind 21 B.C. seniors’ homes gets 18 years for fraud

Wu Xiaohui, former chairman of Anbang Insurance Group, was sentenced in Shanghai court
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Retirement Concepts, once owned by Anbang Insurance Group, is now controlled by the Chinese government. (Black Press Media files)

The founder of a Chinese company that was once the largest provider of retirement and care homes in B.C. has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud, according to state media.

Wu Xiaohui, the former chairman for Anbang Insurance Group, received his sentence in Shanghai Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to fundraising fraud and embezzlement of corporate funds.

Wu also had 10.5 billion yuan, or US$1.6 billion, seized.

State media reported the court found Wu had concealed his shareholder status, and had controlled the Anbang Property and Casualty Insurance Co., and the Anbang Insurance Group through several companies under his control.

In B.C., the Anbang Insurance Group controlled 21 retirement and care homes, as well as two in Alberta, through subsidiary Retirement Concepts from 2017 until the beginning of 2018.

The Canadian government approved Anbang’s purchase in February 2017, despite scrutiny by B.C.’s union representing hospital workers over the insurance company’s “unsustainable” global spending.

READ MORE: Union pleas for province to act on nursing home takeover by Chinese government

The Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission seized control of the care homes last February because of the fraud charges.

Senior living communities in B.C. under the Retirement Concepts umbrella include:

Vancouver Island:

Beacon Hill Villa, in Victoria

Selkirk Seniors Village, in Victoria

The Wellesley, in Victoria

Comox Valley Seniors Village, in Courtenay

Casa Loma Retirement Village, in Courtenay

Nanaimo Seniors Village

Stanford Seniors Village, in Parksville

Lower Mainland:

Auburn Seniors Residence, in Chilliwack

Dufferin Care Centre, in Coquitlam

Guildford Seniors Village, in Surrey

Langley Seniors Village

Maple Ridge Seniors Village

Peace Portal Seniors Village, in White Rock

Renfrew Care Centre, in Vancouver

Rosemary Heights Seniors Village, in Surrey

Waverly Seniors Village, in Chilliwack

White Rock Seniors Village

BC Interior:

Kamloops Seniors Village

Williams Lake Seniors Village

Summerland Seniors Village


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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