Prosecutors Will Seize Fugitive Former Official’s Assets in $400 Million Embezzlement Case

A fugitive former official in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province accused of embezzling over $400 million will have his illegal gains — including over 1,000 properties and 38 vehicles — confiscated by local prosecutors, as China strengthens its efforts to recover the ill-gotten assets of criminals who flee abroad.

Li Chuanliang, who is still at large, allegedly took advantage of his positions in the cities of Jixi and Hegang to pocket public assets worth more than 2.9 billion yuan ($407 million) and accepted nearly 49 million yuan in bribes for helping others “seek improper benefits,” according to a court notice published Friday in People’s Court Daily, a newspaper managed by the Supreme People’s Court.