Fugitive accused of duty crimes returns

Guo Qigang, a fugitive suspected of crimes related to his duties and who was also Party secretary of a power generation company, has returned to China, thanks primarily to the efforts of the central anti-corruption coordination group's fugitive repatriation and asset recovery office.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, China's top anti-corruption watchdogs, announced his return in a statement on Wednesday through the website.

Guo, 59, served as Party chief of the leading power generation company under the State Development and Investment Corp, known as SDIC Power. He fled China in July 2019 after learning that he was suspected of serious duty-related violations and crimes, the statement said.

It added that investigators have frozen all of his assets that are related to the case.

The fugitive repatriation and asset recovery office, which was launched in June 2014, was primarily responsible for Guo's repatriation. The Shanxi provincial fugitive repatriation office, as well as the disciplinary and supervisory departments in Datong city and in the corporation, also played a role, the statement said.

"Guo's return and surrender was a major achievement in the nation's efforts to fight corruption related to State-owned enterprises and in the carrying out of Sky Net," the central fugitive repatriation and asset recovery office said.

Sky Net, an annual campaign launched by the central anti-corruption coordination group that targets overseas fugitives, debuted in March 2015.

This year's campaign started at the end of March, according to China Central Television.

It wasn't long before it began yielding results. In June, Guo Jiefang, one of 100 fugitives on Interpol's red notice list, voluntarily returned to China and turned herself in, thanks to the group and Guangdong provincial discipline and supervision agencies.

Guo was the first fugitive to surrender since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in 2022, and the 62nd fugitive to be repatriated to China under Sky Net.

The 70-year-old woman was a police officer in the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau's traffic department and fled overseas in March 2000 after she was accused of accepting bribes.