前厦门市公安局副局长郑东强是回国认罪的腐败逃犯之一。[photo/chinacourt.org]在今年早些时候《国际刑事司法协助法》生效后,中共中央委员会将加强与其他国家的司法合作,遣返腐败逃犯。纪律检查委员会在周日的国际反腐败日前表示。该法于10月生效,其中包括一个关于转移逃犯和没收其在国外非法所得资产的章节。一位不愿透露姓名的CCDI高级官员告诉《中国日报》,该法为“与相关国家开展执法合作,引渡和遣返腐败逃犯,扣押或归还非法所得资产提供了国内法律依据”。根据新的法律,我们将加强与西方国家的沟通和信息交流,并就重大案件与西方国家进行联合调查,”他说。CCDI称,自2015年4月中国启动天网搜捕逃犯行动以来,司法官员已从125个国家和地区引渡、遣返或劝说4833名经济犯罪逃犯回国受审。与此同时,从海外收回了103多亿元人民币(14.9亿美元)的非法收购资产。2015年,国际刑警组织对100名主要经济逃犯发出红色通知。迄今为止,已有54人从17多个国家和地区被带回中国接受司法审判,其中包括杨秀珠,他在美国逃亡13年后于2016年11月被带回中国。今年6月,中国当局公布了50名被指控犯有腐败和/或经济犯罪的个人的信息,并鼓励公众提供有关他们下落的线索。从那时起,已有4人被遣返。一个典型的病例发生在星期三。福建省厦门市公安局前副局长郑东强在逃亡两年后,再次认罪。65岁的郑被控受贿,2016逃到新西兰,然后逃到马来西亚和香港。他自首,自愿返回寻求更宽松的统治。据中央情报局称,大多数逃犯仍然在西方国家逍遥法外,包括美国、加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰。中国将加强与西方国家的务实合作,鼓励它们签署双边引渡条约或刑事案件互助协定,帮助打击越境有组织犯罪活动,包括逮捕逃犯和追回他们的赃物。据外交部称,中国已与71个国家签署了54项双边引渡条约和63项刑事案件互助协定。”正义迟早会到来。我们鼓励逃犯在12月底前回来认罪,以获得更宽的惩罚,”这位匿名官员说。北京师范大学法学教授黄峰说,这部法律清楚地界定了相关部门的任务和责任,被认为是“帮助中国和外国追捕逃犯并切断其赃款来源的有力法律武器”。
Zheng Dongqiang, former deputy head of Xiamen public security bureau, is one of the corrupt fugitives who have returned China to plead guilty. [Photo/Chinacourt.org]

Party's top watchdog to repatriate more corrupt officials seeking refuge overseas

China will strengthen judicial cooperation with other countries to repatriate corrupt fugitives after the International Criminal Justice Assistance Law took effect earlier this year, the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day, which fell on Sunday.

The law, which was put into force in October, includes a section on the transfer of fugitives and confiscation of their illicitly gained assets abroad.

The law provides "a domestic legal basis to conduct law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries to extradite and repatriate corrupt fugitives, and seize or return their illicitly gained assets," a senior CCDI official, who declined to provide his name, told China Daily.

"Under the new law, we will enhance communication and information exchanges with Western countries and carry out joint investigation with them on major cases," he said.

Since April 2015, when China launched the Skynet operations to hunt down fugitives, judicial officers have extradited, repatriated or persuaded 4,833 economic-crime fugitives from 125 countries and regions to return and stand trial in China, the CCDI said.

Meanwhile, more than 10.3 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) of illegally acquired assets have been recovered from overseas.

In 2015, Interpol issued red notices for 100 major economic fugitives.

To date, 54 have been brought back from more than 17 countries and regions to face justice, including Yang Xiuzhu, who was brought back to China in November 2016 after 13 years on the run in the United States.

In June, Chinese authorities released information on 50 individuals accused of corruption and/or economic crimes and encouraged the public to provide tips on their whereabouts. Since then, four have been repatriated.

A typical case occurred on Wednesday.

Zheng Dongqiang, former deputy head of Xiamen's public security bureau, Fujian province, returned to plead guilty after two years on the run.

Zheng, 65, was accused of bribery and fled to New Zealand in 2016, then escaped to Malaysia and Hong Kong. He turned himself in and voluntarily returned to seek a more lenient ruling.

According to the CCDI, most of the fugitives are still at large in Western countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

China will beef up pragmatic cooperation with Western countries and encourage them to sign bilateral extradition treaties or agreements on mutual assistance in criminal cases to help combat cross-border organized crime activity, including apprehending fugitives and recovering their ill-gotten assets.

According to the Foreign Ministry, China has signed 54 bilateral extradition treaties and 63 agreements on mutual assistance in criminal cases with 71 countries.

"Justice will come sooner or later. We encourage fugitives to return and confess their crimes before the end of December to obtain more lenient punishments," the anonymous official said.

The law, which clearly defines the tasks and responsibilities of relevant authorities, is considered "a powerful legal weapon to (help) China and foreign countries hunt down fugitives and cut off the source of their dirty money," said Huang Feng, a law professor at Beijing Normal University.