'Runaway millionare' to be extradited: report

Nov 29, 2011 |

Hong Kong

A New Zealander who allegedly fled to China after millions of dollars were mistakenly deposited into his bank account will be extradited to face trial, a report said Tuesday.

A Hong Kong court agreed last month to grant an application for the extradition of Leo Gao Hui, 30, to New Zealand where he is wanted for alleged theft and money laundering, the South China Morning Post reported.

No extradition date had been set.

Gao made international headlines in 2009 when he and partner Kara Hurring went on the run after Westpac bank put NZ$10 million (US$7.58 million) into his business account after he had requested a NZ$100,000 overdraft.

The error was discovered within days but by then NZ$6.78 million had allegedly been transferred into other accounts and the pair had left New Zealand.

Hurring has already voluntarily returned to New Zealand and will face trial next year on charges of stealing NZ$11,000 and laundering HK$1.5 million ($192,000) in Macau.

Gao, who operated a petrol station in New Zealand, was arrested in Hong Kong in September as he entered the southern Chinese city from the mainland.

Hong Kong court officials were not available to comment.

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