The former chairman of mining giant, Hanlong group, told the People's Court in Xianning that he is no gang leader.

Former taipan, Liu Han, denied that he heads an organized crime when he appeared before the court on Tuesday.

Forty nine year old Liu, and 35 other associates including his brother, are being tried within seven courts in Xianning for multiple criminal activities that include the murder of nine people.

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Liu told the court that his company, Hanlong Group, and its subsidiaries did not engage in illegal profits nor used it for criminal activities.

State prosecutors claim that since 1997, when Liu Han and his business associate Sun Xiaodong established the Hanlong Group, Liu and his younger brother Liu Wei hired thugs and formed an organized crime group that operated side by side with the legal business activities of Hanlong.

Based on the prosecutors' allegations, the Liu crime group was made of ten regular members with twenty followers.

They said Liu was the leader who made the final decisions, Sun was tasked to implement orders of the elder Liu, while the younger brother Wei led the "hatchet" men in enforcing the orders of the older Liu.

The prosecutors alleged that the Liu group gained control on several industries, particularly mining, wielding influences that seriously damaged the socio-economic order.

Liu was quick to deny these allegations claiming he ran a legitimate legal business. He also denied knowing any of the nine murder victims but he condoled with their families as a sign of respect.

He also volunteered to compensate the victims' families out of sympathy, but not out of guilt.

Liu stressed that his companies were open to market competition and added that they never forcibly took control of local industries.

The former taipan admitted that he did meet his younger brother Wei when the latter was already being hunted by authorities for the death of three people in 2009, but said he had nothing to do with allegations of a cover up on these deaths.

The trial of Liu resumes Wednesday, which will mark the third day of the controversial trial of a man who once controlled a large share of China's mining industry.