China says graft fugitives abroad abuse system to prolong cases
Liu Jianchao, official leading efforts to repatriate fugitives, says Beijing faces uphill battle, despite bringing home more than 800 suspected corrupt officials, including 18 of the 100 on its ‘most wanted’ list since April
Chinese corruption suspects that have fled abroad have been abusing the legal systems of host countries to prolong their cases in what is a big challenge to China's efforts to get them back, a top anti-graft official said on Thursday.
In an unusual effort at transparency, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Cooperation Bureau, the corruption watchdog Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s team trying to repatriate graft suspects, told foreign reporters that China had to respect the laws of other countries in trying to get those people returned.
However, underscoring the limits of the openness quest, Liu declined to answer questions about one of the most sensitive cases that involves the brother of a one-time senior aide to former president, Hu Jintao.
Liu said China had pursued and brought home more than 800 suspected corrupt officials, including 18 of the top 100 suspects it targeted with an Interpol red notice in April. But it still faced an uphill task, he said
“China respects the law and legal procedures of the host country,” Liu said. “At the same time, we hope that the relevant laws and procedures of these countries are not abused by suspects.”
Read more: China’s graft-busters release list of 100 wanted fugitives in Operation Sky Net
“Using this illegal money to defend their illegal actions is a challenge to justice and the law,” Liu said.
China needed to think of ways to prevent this, he said, without elaborating.
One example of a Chinese fugitive using the courts to fight repatriation involved Lai Changxing, who fled to Canada via Hong Kong in 1999 after being accused of running a US$10 billion smuggling ring.
He later tried to obtain refugee status there and avoid deportation by claiming he could face the death penalty or be tortured if he was sent back.
However, a Canadian court ruled Lai would not be at risk if he was returned to China and he was flown back to Beijing in July 2011, where he was immediately arrested by police. He was later jailed for life.
Beijing’s efforts have long been hampered by Western nations that balk at signing extradition deals, partly out of concern about its judicial system.
Rights groups say Chinese authorities use torture and the death penalty is common in corruption cases. Last week, a UN rights watchdog said torture remained rife in China.
Liu said authorities had not found any case or complaint that repatriated people had been mistreated and Chinese law guaranteed torture would not be used.
Another Western complaint is China's opacity, especially on sensitive political cases.
Liu was asked about Ling Wancheng, the brother of disgraced Ling Jihua, a one-time senior aide to retired president Hu. In July, the government said it would prosecute Ling Jihua after an investigation accused him of corruption.
“This issue is nothing to do with me. I don't know who is in charge of it,” Liu said. “But if any Chinese citizen breaks Chinese law, they will be investigated.”
Ling Wancheng is in the United States, sources have told Reuters, although China has given no details of any crime he is suspected of and he has not appeared on any Chinese wanted lists.
