Lai Changxing: Good luck to Gao Shan, the comrade fugitive

(caption 1: Gao hugged his crying wife after his release. caption 2: Lai Changxing wishes Gao good luck. Ming Pao.)

World renowned Chinese fugitive, China's most wanted man Lai Changxing (賴昌星) sent his best wishes yesterday to comrade Gao Shan, who is also on China's extradition request list.

"I wish him good luck," Lai said yesterday.

Though charged by China for various counts of corruption and theft from customers' savings, Gao maintains his innocence and believes the Canadian judicial system will clear him.

Lai agreed with Gao. "When China picks someone and says he/she has committed a crime, then he/she has committed a crime," Lai said. "What they say is all B.S. that cannot be trusted."

Lai also pointed out the difference between his case and Gao Shan's. While Lai is still a failed refugee claimant, Gao and his family are legitimate permanent residents. Lai strongly believes that "Gao will be OK."

Gao was released by an IRB adjudicator for a bond of $300,000. Adjudicator Marc Tessler believes that the large bond will lessen the possibility that Gao would escape.

The $300,000 bond is rare, given that the highest bond Lai Changxing and his wife Tsang Ming Na was only $80,000 each.

Gao's wife Li Xue bought a downtown apartment unit in Sep 2002 (before they landed in Canada, which was 2004) at $547,500. She sold the place in Aug 2005 at $620,000, making $72,500 in profit. However, the assessment for this unit is now at $789,000. Li bought the current townhouse in Oct 2006 at $545,000.

Gao and his family will go through another hearing on their PR status on March 6. If they fail, they'll be issued the deportation order, said Melissa Anderson of the IRB.

More about the story from the Globe and Mail:

Gao has been ordered to appear every Tuesday to the Canadian Borders Services Agency, inform immigration officials of any change of address and surrender his Chinese passports.

The 42-year-old man has been living a quiet life in Canada since arriving in October of 2004. He returned briefly to China, then came back to Canada permanently on Dec. 30, 2004. His wife had arrived with their daughter in 2002, and the family are permanent residents of Canada.

On Jan. 24, 2005, the public security bureau in China issued a warrant for Gao's arrest for fraud.



Chinese authorities allege that Gao forged corporate seals and transferred funds from corporate accounts in his bank to those of his alleged co-conspirators. Using evidence entered into the detention hearing review -- provided by the Chinese government to Canadian authorities -- immigration adjudicator Marc Tessler said the two other co-conspirators are Li Dong Zhe and Li Dong Hu.

The arrest warrants and case summaries from Chinese police disclosed at the hearing documented the seizure of some cash, 143 automobiles and 51 residences or business properties through a scheme that involved 24 suspects.

Approximately $84-million remains unaccounted for, Tessler said.

At the detention hearing, a disclosure statement from the RCMP indicated that Gao has been under surveillance for at least a year. Despite the RCMP surveillance, there was no indication that Gao or his family were living off the proceeds of crime, Tessler said.

"This I know contrasts with some of the extravagant spending of Li Dong Zhe, who the documents suggest was the principal player in the frauds. It was noted he had bought and sold a $3-million house in Vancouver," Tessler said.

The RCMP maintain that Li Dong Zhe, Li Dong Hu and Gao Shan are now believed to control the direct and indirect benefits of their crime in China, according to the evidence entered in the hearing.

But Tessler rejected that claim.

"In my opinion this statement with respect to Gao is not justified in the balance of other evidence," he said. "Nothing at all seemed extraordinarily excessive about them. While and Mrs. Gao may be living somewhat beyond their means, this is not uncommon."

The family owned two properties but had hoped to flip one of them to make money. Ms. Li was the sole breadwinner in the household, earning $33,000 a year, while Gao attended English lessons at Vancouver Community College. They have about $11,000 in a savings account and owned one car, a Mazda.

"If Gao has vast sums of money at his disposal, as the RCMP imply, he has made no apparent use of those funds during the past two years, neither in real-estate purchases or conspicuous spending," Tessler said.

See also:
Fugitive Gao Shan says he's innocent; released
Another Chinese fugitive arrested in Vancouver
Five fugitives hiding in Canada, China says

Tags: lai changxing, lai cheong sing, gao shan, li xue, gao shan xue lian, fugitive, bank of china