Ye Jianming
Ye Jianming | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1977 Nanping, Fujian, China |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2003–2018 |
| Known for | Founder and former chairman of CEFC China Energy Company Limited |
Ye Jianming (; born 23 February 1977) is a Chinese entrepreneur who founded and formerly chaired CEFC China Energy Company Limited, an energy and financial conglomerate that was once listed among the Global Fortune 500 but has since ceased operations. Since March 2018, he has been held in China on allegations related to bribery.
Prior to its insolvency, CEFC China, under Ye's direction, secured the 229th position on the 2016 Fortune Global 500 ranking and had a workforce exceeding 30,000 employees. During his leadership period, CEFC provided financial support to the Hong Kong-based China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC), an NGO holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Between 2003 and 2005, Ye held the role of deputy secretary general at the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC).
In April 2015, Ye was named as an economic advisor to Czech Republic president Miloš Zeman.
In November 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice charged CEFC with attempting to pay a $2 million bribe to Chad's president in exchange for oil rights. Additionally, through intermediaries including former Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho and ex-Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, CEFC was accused of transferring $500,000 into an account controlled by Uganda's Foreign Minister. The energy company denied authorizing Ho to partake in illicit activities. Subsequently, in December 2018, Ho was found guilty in a U.S. federal court on seven counts encompassing bribery and money laundering, while Gadio provided testimony supporting the prosecution.
Investigation
In March 2018, Ye was taken into custody and subjected to an inquiry on allegations related to financial misconduct. It was reported that the directive for this investigation originated from CCP leader Xi Jinping. Following this, CEFC China Energy came under the management of Shanghai Guosheng Group, an investment entity overseen by the Shanghai municipal government. By October 2018, legal authorities accused former Gansu Communist Party Secretary Wang Sanyun of having received illicit payments from Ye Jianming in 2011.