Employees in Rio Tinto case appeal terms

SHANGHAI - Three of the four employees of mining giant Rio Tinto who were jailed by a Shanghai court last month for taking bribes and stealing commercial secrets have decided to appeal their jail terms, their lawyers said Wednesday.

But Stern Hu, the Australian national who headed Rio's iron ore operations in China and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, has yet to make a decision, his lawyer Jin Chunqing said.

During his meeting with Hu on Wednesday afternoon, Jin said Hu dismissed rumors that he owned several villas worth millions of yuan, as reported by media.