Australian businessman Matthew Ng lost his appeal in China and has been sentenced to 11.5 years in prison on charges of embezzlement and corruption. Upon hearing his sentence, Ng, founder of Et-China travel company, told his wife to leave China with their four children as he felt it was no longer a safe place for them. From the Sydney Morning Herald:

The crushing verdict yesterday, for bribery and corporate charges, left Ng and his family shell-shocked. Ng founded the successful London-listed travel business Et-China before he was detained in China in November 2010.

In emotional scenes after the verdict, judge Wu Tiecheng allowed family members to see Ng before he was taken away. Handcuffed and separated by a barrier, Ng told his wife, Niki Chow, to go home to Australia as soon as possible. He then reached for her hand and kissed it before collapsing in tears.

“He thinks it [China] is too dangerous and not good for the children,” Ms Chow said later.

Ng was sentenced to 12½ years, commuted to 11½ years. He had been sentenced to 13 years’ jail in December, but in a minor victory, had one embezzlement charge against him dropped during the appeal.

Ng was sentenced to 13 years last year after his ties with a state-owned company soured. Read more about his case via CDT.