Liu Han, a former Sichuan mining tycoon, denied charges of leading a “mafia-style gang” on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing the Xianning Intermediate Court in central Hubei province where he is being tried. Previously the chairman of unlisted Hanlong Group and suspected of having links to the eldest son of retired security chief Zhou Yongkang, Liu went on trial on Monday along with the other members of his alleged gang. Charges range from extortion and murder to gun-running. The probe marks one of the highest-profile cases against a private businessman since President Xi Jinping took power last year.