Li Dongzhe brothers remain in custody, given exclusion order

Fugitives Li Dongzhe (李東哲) and Li Donghu (李東虎) have been denied release today at an Immigration and Refugee Board detention hearing. The brothers have been issued exclusion order and will be remanded until their next hearing.

Canada Border Services Agency confirms that the Li's had applied and failed their refugee application. The only options left are 1) ask the federal court for a judicial review of the refugee claiming decision; 2) apply for a pre-removal risk assessment which would say they might face death penalty or torture if deported back to China.

Li Dongzhe (born Feb 7, 1967) and Li Donghu (born Feb 21, 1969) were arrested last Friday by Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP for failure to leave the country after their travel visas expired.

Media reports in China allege that Li Dongzhe was the kingpin behind the billion dollar theft happened at the Bank of China Harbin Branch, of which Gao Shan was branch manager.

The brothers plan to appeal to the federal court and enter the long judicial process like Lai Changxing. However, unlike Lai, Li Dongzhe and Li Donghu might not be qualified to claim refugee status.

The CIC lawyer produced the arrest warrants for the Li's at the detention hearing today, indicating they were wanted for fraud in China.

The Li's are Chinese citizens of Korean ethnicity.

Gao Shan, Li Dongzhe and Li Donghu all were issued "Red Notice" by the Interpol and the Chinese police.

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, there are three types of removal orders: deportation order, departure order and exclusion order. Departure order and exclusion order are for less serious crime and the removed subjects can come to Canada after a certain period of time (departure order after 30 days; exclusion order after at least 1 year) while deportation order would ban the subject from entering Canada permanently.

In the detention hearing of Gao Shan last week, the IRB adjudicator indicated that Li Dongzhe is making extravagant spendings in Canada, such as having bought and sold a $3m house in Vancouver. The adjudicator also believed that Li Dongzhe was the principal player in the frauds allegedly committed by Gao and Li in China.

The RCMP maintain that Li Dongzhe, Li Donghu 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.

There is also evidence showing Li Dongzhe and Li Donghu have some direct dealings with Li Xue, Gao Shan's wife.

See also:
Li Dongzhe brothers remain in custody, given exclusion order
Gao Shan ordered release, again
BREAKING NEWS: Two more Chinese fugitives arrested in Vancouver
Two more Chinese fugitives arrested in Vancouver
Will Gao Shan be the first Chinese fugitive extradited by Canada?
Gao Shan remains in jail until source of money proved clean
Lai Changxing: Good luck to Gao Shan, the comrade fugitive
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