China: 108 repatriated over job-related crimes

BEIJING

More than 105 former Chinese officials accused of committing job-related crimes involving $185 million in embezzled funds have been repatriated over the last 15 months under a special operation, according to state media Thursday.

Xinhua cited the Supreme People's Procuratorate as announcing that of the 108 suspects who returned to China, 65 percent – or 70 of them – had done so after persuasion.

While the total amount allegedly embezzled in their cases amounted to 1.2 billion yuan, 24 of them are accused of each acquiring fraudulent gains of more than 5 million yuan.

Of the 108, 31 had remained overseas for more than a decade.

The Procuratorate, which launched the operation in Sept. 2014 in pursuit of fugitives who had fled abroad, said efforts would continue over the next year.

Earlier this year, China’s Interpol bureau released the names of 100 nationals wanted worldwide under the government’s Sky Net campaign.

The countries that corruption fugitives have frequently fled to -- reportedly transferring billions in illegally acquired yuan – include the U.S., Canada and Australia – with whom China does not have an extradition treaty.

A senior anti-graft official told the state-run China Daily last week that they are cooperating with the U.S. in cases against five of China’s most-wanted fugitives, with Beijing requesting their repatriation.

Among them is China’s most wanted fugitive who media referred to as the "Corrupt Queen," Yang Xiuzhu, a former deputy mayor of Wenzhou city accused of embezzling $40 million.

BEIJING

Xinhua cited the Supreme People's Procuratorate as announcing that of the 108 suspects who returned to China, 65 percent – or 70 of them – had done so after persuasion.

While the total amount allegedly embezzled in their cases amounted to 1.2 billion yuan, 24 of them are accused of each acquiring fraudulent gains of more than 5 million yuan.

Of the 108, 31 had remained overseas for more than a decade.

The Procuratorate, which launched the operation in Sept. 2014 in pursuit of fugitives who had fled abroad, said efforts would continue over the next year.

Earlier this year, China’s Interpol bureau released the names of 100 nationals wanted worldwide under the government’s Sky Net campaign.

Among them is China’s most wanted fugitive who media referred to as the "Corrupt Queen," Yang Xiuzhu, a former deputy mayor of Wenzhou city accused of embezzling $40 million.