Fugitive returns to China, turns herself in

Guo Jiefang, one of 100 fugitives on the Interpol red notice, voluntarily returned to China and turned herself in on Saturday, thanks to the coordination of the central anti-corruption group and efforts of the Guangdong provincial discipline and supervision agencies.

The Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, China's top anti-corruption watchdogs, disclosed the news in a statement on Monday.

Guo was the first fugitive to surrender since the 20th CPC National Congress last year, and she was also the 62nd fugitive to return to China in Sky Net, a campaign launched by the central anti-corruption group to target fugitives who fled overseas, the statement said.

Guo, 70, who was a police officer of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau's traffic department, fled overseas in March 2000 after she was believed to have accepted bribes together with others, according to the statement.

Seven months later, the Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate filed a case to investigate Guo, it said, adding that in December 2007, Interpol issued a red notice against her.

Since then, the investigators have actively carried out international cooperation in law enforcement. Under the relentless pursuit, Guo returned to China, and her illicit assets have also been recovered, it said.

"The high pressure against corruption will remain. Voluntarily returning to China and turning themselves in is the only way out for fugitives," said the office in charge of fugitive repatriation and asset recovery under the central anti-corruption coordination group.