BEIJING - China's top court on Tuesday issued a rare but much-awaited statement regarding the final review of a highly controversial death sentence imposed on a former billionaire.

Wu Ying, a 31-year-old businesswoman, was sentenced to death in 2009 by the Jinhua City Intermediate People's Court in East China's Zhejiang province for a Ponzi scheme. Promising high returns for investors, she illegally raised 770 million yuan ($122 million) from 11 lenders from 2005 to 2007. Her appeal to overturn the death sentence was rejected by the Zhejiang High People's Court last month.

According to China's criminal code, Wu will face capital punishment if the top court upholds the judicial decision.

Sun Jungong, spokesman of the Supreme People's Court, said that a judicial review of Wu Ying's death sentence will be conducted "based on facts" and "according to the law".

Sun made the remarks after releasing information about the crackdown on drug smuggling at a news conference on Tuesday, an unusual move by the top court, which normally doesn't comment on such judicial decisions.

All death sentences in China are reviewed by the top court before being carried out.

Wu's fate has however roused wide public support and pleas to spare her life. There are still unanswered questions in the case, such as the exact amount of money involved, which could make her ineligible for the death sentence under the criminal code, wrote Zhang Sizhi, a well-known lawyer, in an open letter to the top court. Zhang's call was followed by similar messages from the public.

Sun said that while the case is "complicated" and the amount of money involved is "huge", the review will be handled "with care".

He did not say when the final decision would be handed down. China's criminal code does not specify an exact time window for the top court's final review of capital sentences.