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Kara Hurring as a teenager - Source: ONE News -
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The government is being urged to get involved in the hunt in China for a Rotorua couple who fled the country after a banking error left them millions of dollars richer.
Leo Gao and Kara Hurring skipped the country for Hong Kong in May after Westpac credited Gao's account with a $10 million overdraft when he had asked for just $100,000.
Westpac said most of the money had been recovered but $3.8 million was still outstanding.
Rotorua Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Peter Bentley says the hunt for them is "a farce" and "ludicrous" because police in China could not legally arrest them.
He told Rotorua's Daily Post that if the situation was reversed, the New Zealand government would be "bending over backwards" to help China find someone in New Zealand.
"With that much money you have got to be found...if we get so little result from our relationship with the Chinese what does our fair trade agreement mean," he said.
Rotorua Labour list MP Steve Chadwick said the government should press the Chinese to find the pair.
Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Colby, of Rotorua police, said a "mutual-assistance" request to the Chinese government was being worked through.
"We are not trying to hide anything. There's no wilful lack of action on anyone's part. It's just a process that has taken some time," he said.
What would you do? Run with the money or give it back?
Ever found a sum of money in your account, you knew wasn't your?
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentsiping said on 2009-08-28 @ 16:35 NZDT: Report abusive post
I think Mr bentley is either living in a dream world or has ideas of NZ well above its station. Why would the Chinese gvt want to help NZ is one question, but to suggest we put pressure on China is ludicrous, NZ is, comparatively, a backward little puddle in the Pacific which no one outside of her shores takes seriously. Most Chinese I talk to here think Gao is a national hero.
pratalno said on 2009-08-28 @ 15:49 NZDT: Report abusive post
If they are in fact in HK, they'll certainly be caught at some stage. But if they are in Mainland China they will be able to live well forever here with that money and very unlikely to get caught (unless they want to leave the country) and if ever a police officer turned up, treat them to a dinner and flick them some cash and they'll turn a blind eye - that's the way it works here. Maybe they are quite smart~ :)
benrebo said on 2009-05-27 @ 09:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
Interestingly when the commerce commission rules banks have wrongly charged people (millions), and refused to give the money back when customers made them aware of it, they just get told to refund - no criminal charges. When someone takes money off them, and keeps it after the bank makes them aware of it, they are a criminal. Gao should be able to pay them back or if not face bankruptcy
rosebee said on 2009-05-27 @ 05:08 NZDT: Report abusive post
$3.8m? How long will that last. No surprise he went bust if this typifies his risk/benefit analysis
graememcg@xtra.co.nz said on 2009-05-25 @ 09:51 NZDT: Report abusive post
I hope they are caught. I was credits with 250k once in my bank account. Told the bank straight away, it was actually a transfer error on the part of another customer. Got a nice letter of thanks from both the bank and the customer for that. Personally I think living like they are and having to look over your shoulder, waiting for that heavy hand of the law, would be too much. Na, honesty is the best policy