Chinese fugitive on Interpol Red Notice turns herself in after being at large for 23 years

A Chinese fugitive on Red Notice from Interpol who has been at large overseas for over 23 years turned herself in on June 10, becoming the 62nd among the 100 fugitives on Red Notice subjected to law enforcement since the launch of China's anti-corruption "Sky Net" campaign, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) announced on Monday.

Under the coordination of the central anti-corruption coordination group and the relentless efforts of the discipline inspection and supervision authorities in South China's Guangdong Province, the fugitive named Guo Jiefang has returned to China and turned herself in. She is the first fugitive to voluntarily return to China and surrender to law enforcement since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Born in April of 1953, 70-year-old Guo used to be a former traffic policewoman from the Public Security Bureau in Guangzhou city, Guangdong. She is suspected of being involved in bribery along with others and fled abroad in March of 2000.

In October of 2000, the People's Procuratorate of Guangdong Province initiated an investigation against her. The Interpol issued a "red notice" for her in December of 2007.

The law enforcement agencies have actively carried out international law enforcement cooperation and persistently advancing the work of pursuing the fugitive and recovering illegal proceeds.

Eventually, Guo returned to China and surrendered herself. The related illicit proceeds have been recovered in accordance with the laws.

Guo's another identity was the wife of Zhang Linsheng, former chief of the traffic police detachment in Guangzhou. In 2003, Zhang was sentenced to death penalty by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court for taking bribes of over 4.89 million yuan. However, the sentence was commuted to a death with reprieve on appeal, according to Beijing Daily.

After serving two years in prison, Zhang had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment due to good behavior. Beijing Daily reported that his sentence was later further reduced to a fixed-term imprisonment of 18 years and three months.

Media reports indicate that while Zhang directly accepted very few bribes, the majority of bribes were received by his wife in the form of "shares" and dividend profits.

An official from the central fugitive search office said that this accomplishment is a significant outcome resulting from the continuous implementation of the relentless "Sky Net" campaign, reflecting the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the directives of the Second Plenary Session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The anti-corruption authority pledges to further enhance international cooperation in combating corruption, uphold the principle of pursuing fugitives and recovering stolen assets, and maintain an unwavering stance of high pressure in relentless pursuit of fugitives and the recovery of illicit assets until the very end.

The authority advises the fugitives to abandon any illusions, emphasizing that voluntarily returning to their home country and turning themselves in is the only way out.