Good luck Kara!!

NZ's accidental millionaire faces court
March 10, 2011

Almost two years after she shocked the world with her brazen multi-million dollar theft, New Zealand's most famous runaway has fronted court over the crime.

Kara Hurring, 31, made headlines worldwide in May 2009 when she and then-boyfriend Hui (Leo) Gao, a failed servo owner, skipped New Zealand with millions of dollars accidentally handed to them by their bank.

The pair, who became known as the "accidental millionaires", took their windfall to Asia and disappeared, with no word besides reports of spend-ups at Macau casinos, heard since.
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But last month, Hurring voluntarily returned to face a charge of stealing $NZ6,782,000 ($A4.97 million) from Westpac. Gao remains at large.

Her lawyer Simon Lance told Rotorua District Court on Thursday that Hurring, who turns 32 next week, intends to fight the charge.

Smartly dressed in a tailored black suit and a white shirt, Hurring appeared solemn and composed in the dock as Judge Jocelyn Munroe remanded her on bail to reappear on March 21.

These are her first days back in her hometown, a tourist destination known for its hot pools and geysers, and it's undoubtedly a very different experience to when she was last there.

In April 2009 Gao and Hurring applied for an extension to their overdraft to help get their failing gas station back into the black.

Instead Westpac, in one of the biggest blunders of its kind, mistakenly handed them a credit line of NZ$10 million - 100 times their approved limit of NZ$100,000.

It's alleged that the pair transferred almost NZ$7 million of it into other accounts before fleeing the country with Hurring's young daughter two days later.

The bank, left red-faced by the error, fired the teller responsible for misplacing the decimal point and has been working with authorities in China to recover some of the money.

Their disappearance sparked an international police search, with officers revealing that Hurring's younger sister Aroha, as well as Gao's mother and business partner were also unaccounted for.

Other relatives of the pair told New Zealand media they had opted not to go because they "knew it was bad".

At the time, Hurring's mother Suzanne Hurring made public pleas for her daughter to return, telling journalists: "she has never pinched a thing in her life."

An employee at the gas station was also lamenting his bosses' departure.

Shybu Antony, a father-of-three left $US2000 ($A2,543) out of pocket, told the local Daily Post newspaper he was heartbroken to lose his job.

"I'm so shocked. They should come back and give the money back ... Westpac made a big blunder but Leo has done a big, big blunder."

His message for Gao, if he saw him again, would be: "'Why are you doing this? You spoil your life, you spoil my life'."

Source: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/nzs-accidental-millionaire-faces-court-20110310-1bph1.html
Tamara McLean, AAP New Zealand Correspondent March 10, 2011

Kara throws in the towel

Westpac runaway returns to NZ, arrested

12:52 PM Friday Feb 25, 2011

A woman who allegedly left New Zealand with her Chinese partner when Westpac mistakenly put $10 million into his account in 2009 has been arrested at Auckland International Airport.

Kara Hurring was arrested by Rotorua police her arrival this morning and has since appeared in Manukau District Court.

Hurring was bailed to an Auckland address and will appear in Rotorua District Court on March 10.

Police say Hurring's partner Leo Gao had a $10 million overdraft facility mistakenly loaded into his business account in April 2009. Gao had asked for a $100,000 overdraft to shore up his ailing service station business in Rotorua.

They transferred $6.78 million into other accounts and then left for Hong Kong, Gao on April 29 and Hurring on May 3. The error was discovered on May 5.

About half the money was recovered, but $3,872,000 was still outstanding, police said.

Police investigation head detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said today the investigation remained active over the past 20 months.

"While she has returned to New Zealand voluntarily - and she should be commended for having done so - her move has been prompted by police activity," Mr Loper said.

"Obviously this is an extremely positive development in the case, however, the investigation is by no means over. Our focus remains on eventually being able to speak to Leo Gao on this matter."

It was reported last year that Hurring and Gao had separated soon after they arrived in China, and Gao left her with little money.

Mr Loper said the investigation has been complex due to its trans-national nature.

"New Zealand police have been working with law enforcement authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China throughout, and we will continue to do so.

"We are appreciative of the support they have given to the investigation within the constraint of their own laws and we continue to have regular interactions as the investigation progresses," he said.

"At the same time, we have been working with many of New Zealand's different Government agencies on the investigation and we are grateful for their support to date. We will continue to work with them in the future."

Among the difficulties has been the fact that New Zealand has no extradition treaty with China.

In October last year, the Herald on Sunday reported a banking source close to the investigation saying that Hurring had been seeking a way to safely return to New Zealand "for some time". However, police "weren't prepared to do a deal"and Hurring will face the reality of returning to criminal charges.

The paper reported that returning had been forced upon Kara because she was unable to lean on Gao for support. The couple separated shortly after arriving in China through Hong Kong and Macau.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708676
Source:- NZPA, NZ Herald staff

The end is almost here!!

Runaway coming home

Article published: 5:30AM Sunday Oct 17, 2010

 
Accidental millionaire Kara Hurring is coming home and plans to be back before Christmas - 18 months after Westpac mistakenly transferred $10 million into her boyfriend's bank account.

When Hurring returns with her daughter Leena, 8, she will have to face up to her part in the banking error that captured the attention of the world.

Hurring and boyfriend Leo Gao left the country just days after the money was mistakenly transferred. Gao had asked for a $100,000 overdraft for his struggling Rotorua service station - and wound up with $10m after a misplaced decimal point.

Westpac managed to scrabble back two-thirds of the cash before Gao and his family moved the remaining $3.8m off-shore and out of reach.

The Herald on Sunday has learned that Hurring left China two weeks ago for Hong Kong. She is believed to have been living in the Guangdong province close to the border. The departure to Hong Kong was intended to be her first step in a return home. Police working on the case refused to comment.

Detective Sergeant Mark Loper had previously said he had been in email and telephone contact with Hurring.

On Friday, Loper would say only that Chinese authorities had refused to process requests to have the couple extradited. "The problem would appear the Chinese don't recognise what they have done as a crime in their eyes."

Yet, while Hurring was beyond the reach of New Zealand law in China, she was unable to return to New Zealand. Her mother Sue Hurring and sisters Aroha and Chloe live in Blenheim, although her mum temporarily moved to the bottom of the South Island after their home was pictured in a local paper.

Aroha was staying tight-lipped about her sister's return yesterday. She said a lot of rumours were going around Blenheim about Kara; where she was and when she was coming home. "It's all bulls***."

Aroha would not say whether she had spoken to Kara recently nor if any of the family had been to China to visit her. "I'm no squeal. The tsunami will come one day, but not yet."

Sue Hurring recently sold her hair salon, Michael Hair Design, and told staff she was going away until the end of the year.

She spoke to the Herald on Sunday by phone last night, saying she'd been "taken for a ride" and badly treated throughout the long saga. She would not discuss her daughter's whereabouts, nor her return home.

But the Herald on Sunday has learned returning has been forced upon Kara because she was unable to lean on Gao for support. The couple separated shortly after arriving in China through Hong Kong and Macau.

It is believed the split forced Hurring to seek support from Andy Yang, her former partner and father of Leena. She had met and fallen pregnant to Yang in New Zealand but he had returned to China.

While she sought out Yang (since married), Gao, his brother Lei (Carter) and mother Huang Di Zhang went their own way into China. It is believed that Gao left Hurring with little of the accidental windfall.

A banking source close to the investigation said Hurring had been seeking a way to safely return to New Zealand "for some time". However, police "weren't prepared to do a deal"and Hurring will face the reality of returning to criminal charges.

By David Fisher NZ Herald
5:30 AM Sunday Oct 17, 2010

Cara coming home...she's coming home she's coming

Runaway contacts police

Article published: 4:00AM Sunday May 23, 2010

Westpac runaway Kara Hurring has contacted the detective in charge of trying to bring her and her daughter back from China. Hurring left the country a year ago with daughter Leena, 9, and partner Leo Gao after a banking error credited their account with a $10 million overdraft.

The couple were long gone by the time Westpac spotted the error. Gao left behind his struggling service station business and debts on property investments. But Hurring has phoned and emailed Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper. "She had taken it upon herself to email me and I then received a phone call," said Loper. Loper would not comment on speculation Gao and Hurring had separated, leaving the Blenheim woman and her daughter alone in a country she had never visited before last year.

"She's a long way from home. I gleaned that she was quite happy with her and her daughter's circumstances at the time."

Loper would not disclose the full content of the conversation, which took place just before Christmas. He said there had been a fresh bid for help from Chinese authorities after an unsuccessful application last year. Details released through the Official Information Act show Crown legal staff have spent 28 hours on the case this year. Meanwhile, Gao's former service station has been sold and is being turned into a fish and chip shop. One person involved in the case said a Chinese takeaway might be more appropriate.

Source: NZ Herald 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10646868

Surprise..Westpac mess up again

Bank error makes man $30,000 richer

Article published: 7:25AM Tuesday May 11, 2010

An Auckland man wants to change banks after a Westpac left him more than $30,000 richer for a short time.

The banking error put $33,408.22 into health care worker Philip Senthi's bank account.

The bank says the mistake was human error and has apologised - but only after being contacted by the New Zealand Herald, the newspaper reported today.

The bank said a staff member had accidentally keyed in Senthi's account number when it should have been another customer's and the mistake had been rectified.

Senthi says he was frustrated with his dealings with Westpac since the incident.

Last year, in another Westpac mistake, Leo Gao, a Chinese national, and his Kiwi girlfriend, Cara Young, applied for a $100,000 overdraft but a bank worker added two zeros to the transaction, giving them $10 million.

The couple disappeared with nearly $4m and are still on the run.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/bank-error-makes-man-30-000-richer-3535967

Shall we stay or shall we go

Article published: 4:00 AM  Wednesday March 31, 2010

Runaway millionaires can't be extradited from China

 

Rotorua's runaway millionaires will have to return voluntarily before any action can be taken against them.

It has been more than 10 months since Leo Gao, 30, and Kara Hurring, 31, fled after being accidentally given $10 million by Westpac.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper of the Rotorua police said that if the couple were found in China, they could not be extradited to New Zealand as there was no extradition treaty with China.

"They would have to voluntarily come back to New Zealand."

Meanwhile, he confirmed the couple had been in touch with family in New Zealand.

Mr Gao, whose business, Rotorua BP Barnetts, is in receivership, disappeared last May with Ms Hurring, his girlfriend, and her young daughter Leena after a Westpac staff member accidentally allowed a $10 million overdraft on their bank account.

About $6.7 million was withdrawn. The bank has been trying to recover money through court action but $3.8 million remains missing.

Mr Loper would not say how the runaways had been in contact with family in New Zealand and he was not sure of the last time they had made contact. However, he said contact had not been made very often.

He said there had been rumours the pair had separated but he did not know whether that was the case.

Mr Loper said the New Zealand police liaison officer in Beijing was still negotiating with Chinese authorities.

Asked if he was frustrated at how long it was taking to find the pair, Mr Loper said, "No, it's just the way of it", and the case would remain open.

"We are dealing with another country and it will be dealt with in their time, not ours."

Mr Loper said he could not comment on speculation Ms Hurring was likely to escape punishment as she was not a partner in the business the money was placed in.

Ms Hurring's mother, Sue Hurring, who lives in Blenheim, could not be reached for comment.

Source: NZ Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10635458

 

 

End of the line?!

Article published: 4:00 AM  Sunday March 28, 2010

Millionaire runaways urged to come home

The runaway Westpac millionaires have been in touch with family in New Zealand - and been passed messages by police urging them to come home.

It is the first sign of contact with Kara Hurring, 31, and Leo Gao, 30, since they vanished from our shores last May.

But so far the fugitive couple, who fled to China after being accidentally given $10 million by Westpac, have ignored attempts to bring them back to face possible criminal charges.

Detective Sergeant Mark Loper, heading the investigation, said the runaways had made contact with family "on a couple of occasions".

He said: "There have been a number of attempts to get them to come home but obviously that hasn't worked."

Loper said they were aware of reports that the couple had separated, but was unable to confirm if they were accurate.

Police are believed to be relaying messages through Hurring's family in Blenheim.

Hurring fled New Zealand with her 8-year-old daughter Leena and partner Gao after a banking error credited their account with a $10m overdraft.

They managed to keep around $3.8m.

Further attempts to recover the money were foiled when the bank bungled an attempt to recover its losses through the Hong Kong courts.

Police efforts to locate the couple have been affected by repeated stonewalling from the Chinese Government.

Loper said the police liaison officer in Beijing was still "negotiating" with Chinese authorities.

"We've got no jurisdiction over there. It's not like going to Australia to pick up somebody. They do things their way. It's their country, their rules."

Police were unable to trace any contact that the family had with the runaways because "as soon as you hit China, we hit the Chinese authorities".

"We can trace everything back to that point and then [we are] waiting [for] the authority to go further."

He said Chinese police had not even told their New Zealand counterparts whether they had found the runaways.

There has been speculation that Hurring is likely to escape punishment as she was not a partner in the business the money was placed in. Loper said the speculation might not be correct.

Hurring's mother, Sue, refused to comment, saying only that her daughter was responsible for her own life.

In December, the Herald on Sunday revealed that Westpac's efforts to find the couple had targeted Gao's bother Lei Gao and mother Huang Di Zhang. They are also believed to have left New Zealand.

The story so far

* May 7, 2009: Rotorua petrol station owner Leo Gao and Kara Hurring flee to Hong Kong after a banking error credits Gao's account with $10 million. They escape with about $3.8m.

* June 09: Hurring's sister Aroha joins them on an overseas trip.

* December 09: Westpac is forced to pay legal fees to a casino in Macau after losing a court bid to recover money gambled by Gao.

* March 10: The couple contact family in NZ.

Source: Herald on Sunday David Fisher

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10634830&pnum=0

Leo's antics hit the New Zealand crazy charts for 2009

Article published: 9:33 AM  Wednesday December 23, 2009 

Kiwis' crazy antics of 2009

A robber who leaves his name and address, a memorial service for a man who isn't dead and a teacher who poses nude for Penthouse just to annoy her cheating boyfriend.

Where else in the world but New Zealand.

Kiwis can always be relied on to produce some of the world's quirkiest, funniest and downright ridiculous news. And 2009 was no exception, especially with the debacle over a misplaced decimal point that handed $10 million cash to an opportunistic Kiwi couple who quickly fled overseas.

Here are the highlights of a wacky year:

.. William Stewart escaped the clutches of police for 100 days. Stewart, a rough and ready Michael Bolton lookalike, seemed to enjoy his status, at one stage stealing a pie from a farm kitchen and engraving a thank you note into the table from "Billy The Hunted One". He was jailed for his antics but not before inspiring a song, a T-shirt range and Facebook fan page.

.. Failed servo owner Leo Gao couldn't believe his eyes when, in April, Westpac accidentally added extra zeros to his overdraft facility . The Chinese New Zealander skipped the country with millions of dollars overnight, taking his girlfriend on a gambling and spending spree across Asia. Unsurprisingly, they haven't been seen since. The bank worker wasn't so lucky, losing her job after the embarrassing glitch.

.. A man vying for the title of New Zealand's most incompetent criminal left his name and contact details with a shop before robbing it and fleeing. The man - a regular customer of the music shop in Christchurch - ordered a CD before grabbing handfuls of banknotes from the till with four surveillance cameras trained on him. "It was totally comical," the store manager said.

.. When Kiwi primary schoolteacher Rachel Whitwell decided to pose nude for Australian Penthouse she wasn't thinking of the fame or the fortune. She just wanted to annoy her cheating boyfriend. But the ploy backfired badly, with saucy pics of Whitwell frolicking in a spa splashed across New Zealand papers, leaving both her career and her relationship in tatters.

.. A deadpan joke about the safety of eating overheated meat pies catapulted a Kiwi cop into internet super-stardom. Policeman Guy Baldwin was captured on camera interviewing a late-night carjacker who was trying to claim he was merely off to buy a meat pie at the local service station. Baldwin's witty reply was: "That pie has probably been in the warming drawer for about 12 hours. It will be thermo-nuclear - always blow on the pie." Unfortunately the young crim didn't get the joke.

.. A beloved family cat had an extra chilly brush with death after his owners accidentally shut him in the freezer for 19 hours . Sarah Crombie found Krillen the cat lying stiff and semi-conscious on a bag of dog food when she went to get a loaf of bread out of the freezer. The moggy, who had slipped into the top-loading freezer unnoticed the night before, was semi-frozen and hypothermic but purred loudly with relief.

.. Meat-flavoured chocolate might not be everyone's idea of delicious, but a Kiwi chocolatier claims her salami-tinged treats are just that. Sweet maker Hanna Frederick developed venison chocolate truffles to feed dozens of meat lovers at New Zealand's Meat Industry Association conference. Made from a blend of dark chocolate and ground-up salty dried meat, the morsels were described as "heavenly", much to the disgust of many.

.. A canine was in the dog box after driving his owner's ute into the front of a cafe . Wilco, a Staffordshire Ridgeback-cross, proved why dogs should never be left alone in a running vehicle when his paw slipped the column gear change into drive. The ute edged forward 15 metres before crunching into the front doors of a cafe, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

.. A man has become so obsessed with seeing his name in print that he lies regularly to get it there. Andrew Prieditis is from small town New Zealand but the self-confessed letter-writing addict has been published in more than 80 newspapers globally . His trick is to supply a false local address and he has no qualms about duping newspapers. "I just love it, seeing my name there," he said by way of explanation.

.. The condolences were sent and the memorial service was planned. The only problem: Peter Claridge wasn't actually dead. The Kiwi man got the shock of a lifetime to hear his death was being mourned throughout his hometown when he was, in fact, alive and kicking. The rumour was started by the town's misinformed and very embarrassed mayor. Claridge didn't mind though, saying he'd been planning to pop along to the commemorations.

.. The recession was responsible for many an oddity in 2009. For one, Kiwi men were more likely than ever to get "the snip" on their most intimate assets as a reaction to the financial squeeze, and prescriptions for contraceptives have also skyrocketed. The big "R" also kept sheep numbers down and sales of sexy lacy underwear sets up, apparently as a cheap thrill in all the doom and gloom.

.. A curious baby seal shuffled more than 100 kilometres across New Zealand farmland after an overexcited fishing expedition. The super-travelling youngster was spotted by a shocked Kiwi farmer early one morning as he trudged his way over to his milking sheds. Unfazed, the animal took a long nap in a paddock before being caught by conservationists and driven back to the ocean.

.. It supported the bare bums of his pub patrons for 15 years and Trev Inwood wants it back . The Kiwi publican offered a $100 bar tab for the return of a plastic toilet seat stolen from his Christchurch tavern in August. Inwood says he was shocked someone had opted to steal the bog-standard seat but conceded there "might have be a bit of nostalgia". "Some bugger must have unbolted it from the back and taken it out of the boozer with no-one seeing it". Four months on, Inwood is still waiting.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwis-crazy-antics-2009-3317432

Interest returns a bit skinny at the moment

Article published: 4:00 AM  Sunday December 13, 2009 

Paltry return on $3.8m haul

Westpac hasn't had much much more luck recovering money from its runaway millionaires in New Zealand than it has abroad.The bank has legally taken and sold four houses owned by Leo Gao or his mother Huan Di Zhang, and soaked up any cash left over from his Rotorua business, Heights Service Ltd.

But there wasn't much to get - the properties were mortgaged, in many cases to Westpac, and have suffered from the property market or, in one case, the leaky homes debacle. In May, the bank gained the legal right to seize assets owned by Gao, his mother or brother up to the value of almost $3.8 million - the amount the family managed to hang on to after a $10m banking error.

Gao's former investment home in Auckland's West Harbour was advertised as having "weathertightness issues" and no compliance certificate. "Would suit builders," the estate agent suggested. Rated at $735,000, Quotable Value recorded it selling for $360,000. In Eden Terrace, a rundown villa with a government valuation of $770,000, sold for $570,000.

A group of students and workers at a house in Eden Terrace have also lost out - while the house was owned by Gao and he was on the run with Kara Hurring, they lived rent free. One tenant said they were paying rent again. Two homes in Rotorua were also sold, and the bank was the main recipient of the receivership of Gao's service station, Heights Service.

Documents from the receiver show the bank claimed a $4.7m debt from Gao - a clear $1m more than the amount kept from the banking error, showing the extent of the family's debt.
After meeting debts, paying tax, staff and their own costs, the receivers were able to return some funds to Westpac - a grand total of $2007.

Source: Herald on Sunday David Fisher
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/fraud/news/article.cfm?c_id=213&objectid=10615180&pnum=1

It's all becoming a bit costly

Article published: 5:00 AM  Sunday December 13, 2009 

Westpac botches runaway millionaire hunt

Westpac wanted to freeze the assets of Leo Gao's family through a Hong Kong court. Westpac's runaway millionaires are a step closer to keeping the cash after the bank bungled an attempt to recover its losses through the Hong Kong courts. Leo Gao fled New Zealand in May with partner Kara Hurring and her daughter Leena, after a banking error gave his business a $10 million overdraft.

They transferred about $6.7m before the mistake was discovered and Westpac clawed back less than half. The failed legal action means Westpac's chances of recovering the remaining $3.8m appear to rest on New Zealand police convincing Chinese authorities to extradite the runaways. Even then, Gao would probably have to agree to hand over the money as part of a deal to escape greater punishment, according to one insider.

The revelations emerged during a Herald on Sunday investigation into Westpac's efforts to recover the money. In New Zealand, the bank has seized and sold Gao's property investments for below-market value to help recoup its losses and settled an employment dispute with the worker responsible for the banking error. In Hong Kong, it took a pummelling in the courts after trying to recover money Gao passed through a casino in nearby Macau.

The bank lost the case and had to pay the casino's legal bills before one of its lawyers moved to distance themselves from courtroom manoeuvres. Details of the case are contained in a legal judgment from the Hong Kong Court of First Instance. The ruling, by Deputy High Court Judge Ian Carlson, described how Gao was "quick to take advantage" of the error. Carlson said, according to reports he had read, Gao had transferred "ill-gotten funds" to "various accounts in Mainland China and Hong Kong".

His ruling revealed that Gao had help transferring the money from his brother Lei Gao and mother and business partner Huang Di Zhang. Kara's sister Aroha joined them for the first leg of their exploits, telling friends she was drinking beer and loving the heat of Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, before returning to New Zealand three weeks after the banking error. Carlson said one of the accounts into which Gao deposited money was with Wynn International Marketing, a casino and resort operator with a casino in Macau.

The ruling reveals that Gao transferred only part of the missing millions to the casino - $658,643 - but is the only other party named in legal action by Westpac in the Hong Kong courts. That suggests the bank has no idea where to look for the rest. Westpac's action against Wynn International Marketing was an attempt to extend High Court orders in New Zealand to freeze the assets of Gao's family.

Carlson initially granted Westpac permission and papers were served on the casino's account with the Dah Sing Bank, one of Asia's largest. But the lack of detail in the order meant the bank froze the casino's entire account, not the $660,000 sought by Westpac. Carlson said the casino claimed the move had caused "considerable losses" and "damaged its reputation". He said the casino intended seeking compensation from Westpac and its lawyers - although the Herald on Sunday understands the matter was dropped after Westpac paid the casino's legal bills.

It also emerged the freezing order made in Hong Kong should not have been granted. Carlson said a legal error had been made - Westpac had come to court with a freezing order from a New Zealand court when only a full court judgment would have been recognised. He cancelled any authority the bank believed it had in Hong Kong, and warned Westpac's lawyers about trying to get the court to rule on matters on which it had no jurisdiction.

That prompted one of Westpac's lawyers to seek a special court memo stating he had nothing to do with the botched application. A Hong Kong legal source said Westpac went after the first, and only, target it could find. "The fraudsters, having got so lucky, decided they would go and have a little flutter in the casinos in Macau," said the insider. "Money was then transferred to ... give them lines of credit with the casino.

"But Wynn had no notice they were doing this with money they had stolen until much later. If you turn up tomorrow at the casino with US$1m, they aren't going to ask you where you got it from. They'll just let you gamble. "When Westpac discovered what had happened they saw these sums of money going into the casino's bank account. They then charged off and got all these injunctions and sought to enforce these orders in Hong Kong without standing back to think 'have I got any claim against the casino'."

The mistake had blunted Westpac's attempts to recover the cash. The source said it was telling there were no details of further attempts to recover the cash on any Hong Kong legal database. Westpac could expect to have even less success using legal suits to recover money in China, the source said. And he said New Zealand police should hold little hope of extraditing Gao and his family.

"The police in China tend to do whatever the person who paid them the most ... wants them to do. Assuming these people got away with a significant sum of money, that will be enough to keep the Public Security Bureau happy for some years to come. "Once you disappear into deepest China, it is very hard to find you." He said the only chance of returning the money was to get Gao or his mother to New Zealand - or to Hong Kong if the debt was registered there.

Westpac had a greater chance of success if it pushed business the way of the Chinese Government. The New Zealand police case has been handled by four officers over seven months. Papers requesting Chinese assistance in arresting and extraditing Gao were filed about six months ago. The latest officer in charge, detective senior sergeant Mark Loper, said police were "still looking for (the fugitives), obviously".
 

Meanwhile, Westpac has settled an employment dispute with the staff member who keyed in the wrong figure.

The woman, who had worked for the bank for 30 years, left out a decimal point when approving a loan application - giving Gao's business $10m instead of $100,000. After being sacked she threatened to take the case to the Employment Relations Authority.
Westpac had no comment to make on the case.

Source: Herald on Sunday David Fisher
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=10615175

Still looking rosy for Leo and Kara

Article published: Wednesday November 4, 2009 

Rotorua couple still on the run

Six months after Rotorua couple Leo Gao and Kara Hurring skipped the country with millions of dollars of Westpac's money, police say they are still waiting on Chinese authorities to track them down. The pair fled to Hong Kong in early May after Westpac credited Gao's account with a $10 million overdraft when he had asked for just $100,000.

Westpac has recovered most of the money but about $3.8m is still outstanding.

Two months ago Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Colby, of Rotorua police, said a "mutual-assistance" request to the Chinese government was being worked through. That was still the case and he admitted he did not know when there would be any progress, he said. Colby would not say if police knew where the pair were or if private investigators were looking for them. "It's not a totally straight forward process and it has required a patient approach by the New Zealand authorities."

The delay was not through any lack of co-operation from Chinese authorities, he said. Colby denied the delay was frustrating or embarrassing for police. "Not really, we are used to working on complex inquiries that do require a considered, patient approach, and this is one of them. "We are not embarrassed about it. We are doing our best and following all the appropriate steps. There's a process that has to be worked through and we have to have respect and regard for that.

"I think we would be embarrassed if we didn't comply with the proper process and tried to take short cuts." Police had a person in China speaking with the authorities there regularly, and were working with Crown Law. Crown Law would not comment.

Westpac spokesman Craig Dowling would not criticise the police and neither would he be drawn on whether the case was embarrassing or frustrating for the bank. "I think we have got a good working relationship with the police and are confident they are doing what they can."
If the police were successful with their inquiries the bank would work from there to recover the rest of the money. Dowling would not say if Westpac had taken other steps, other than through the police, to find the couple or the money. "We can't really comment on specific measures the bank has taken at this stage."

However, Rotorua Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Peter Bentley said the case reflected poorly on New Zealand's foreign affairs capability. "We haven't got the nous to have people in senior government positions to negotiate with senior Chinese with regard to extradition agreements. "We haven't got one of those in place even though supposedly we have got free trade.
 

What exactly are our parliamentary officials doing about it?"
 

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvnz_smartphone_story_skin/3112493

Is the coast finally now clear?

Article published:3:29 PM  MondaySeptember 28, 2009 

Westpac 'accidental millionaires' still on the run

Police are taking a 'patient approach' in their hunt for a couple still on the run with $3.8m in Westpac's cash.The hunt for a Rotorua couple who fled to China following a multi-million dollar banking error continues to drag on as "mutual assistance" requests are put in place.

Leo Gao and Kara Hurring left New Zealand in May after Westpac mistakenly credited Mr Gao's account with a $10 million overdraft when he had asked for just $100,000. Westpac managed to recover some of the money, but is still seeking $3.8 million.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Colby from Rotorua CIB said mutual assistance requests had been sent by Crown Law to authorities in China."A New Zealand police representative in Beijing has been in regular discussion with Chinese authorities to facilitate these requests," he said today.

Differences between legal and policing systems needed to be worked through and discussions required a "patient" approach. Mr Colby said police were awaiting the outcome of mutual legal assistance requests to determine how the investigation would progress. "At this stage the timeframe for an official response is uncertain."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10600094

Anyone got Sherlock Holmes number

Article published: 10:33 AM Friday August 28, 2009 

Hunt for fugitive millionaires "a farce"

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.

A young Kara (Cara) Hurring

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.

Source: ONE News
http://tvnz.co.nz/content/2952851?page=6&pagesize=5

Let's just throw in another 1/2 million

Article published: 4:00 AM Sunday August 23, 2009 

Runaway owes Westpac even more

Kara Hurring is still on the run with her partner Leo Gao, whose bank account was mistakenly credited with $10 million by Westpac in May.

Westpac's runaway millionaire owes the bank even more than the $3.6 million he skipped the country with, A report by receivers which took over Leo Gao's business have revealed he owes the bank another $647,000 on top of his stolen $3.6m.

A Westpac spokesman said the extra money was likely from other loans Gao had with the bank. Efforts to get cash back from the business have largely failed, returning just $2007 to the bank.

Source: NZ Herald Joseph Barratt
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10592623

Bank worker sacked 3 months later

Article published: 9:47 AM SundayAugust 9, 2009 

Bank worker responsible for $10m blunder sacked

Kara Hurring is still on the run with her partner Leo Gao, whose bank account was mistakenly credited with $10 million by Westpac in May.

The Westpac employee involved in a $10 million bungle this year has been sacked following a second mistake. In May, Rotorua couple, Leo Gao and Kara Hurring, skipped the country for Hong Kong after the Westpac worker mistakenly credited Mr Gao's account with a $10 million overdraft when he had asked for just $100,000.

Most of the money was recovered, but $3.8 million remains outstanding and police, assisted by Chinese authorities, are still trying to track down Gao and Hurring. Westpac spokesman Craig Dowling today confirmed the worker involved in the incident had been fired following a subsequent error, in which she keyed in the wrong loan amount. The second incident had not resulted in a loss for the bank.

"There was a process that was gone through post that, so it wasn't just as a result of that error," he said. The woman, who has more than 30 years banking experience, had been offered another role, with the same pay rate, at the bank, but turned it down, Mr Dowling said.

Mr Dowling said Westpac was not aware of any legal action being taken by the woman after the Sunday Star Times today reported that she intended to fight her dismissal through the Employment Relations Authority.

More woes for Westpac

Article published: 4:00 AM Sunday July 26, 2009 

'Normal' boss swindles bank

Westpac says it has ensured that Heather Scott's victims haven't suffered financial loss. Photo / Martin Sykes

The brother of a "normal" bank manager who swindled Westpac out of more than $460,000 over a 20-year period says he is shocked by her actions. Heather Scott used her management position in Alexandra to siphon money from fake accounts opened in the names of nine friends and family members, including husband Hugh Scott and brother James Walker.

The 54-year-old appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to 33 charges, including 21 of dishonestly using a document, 11 of forgery and one of theft.

She is behind bars after being remanded in custody until September 24 for sentencing.

Walker described his sister as being happily married with two daughters and four grandchildren. "She didn't spend up large, not that any of us saw, anyway. It's a huge shock."

Detective Sean Cairns of the Invercargill Police said Scott had been in the banking industry for 24 years. She began offending in 1989 when she opened a credit card account under her husband's name without his knowledge.

Over the years she opened several other bogus accounts and forged signatures to access loans, the largest of them $120,000 from an account in her husband's name. Scott was discovered through an internal investigation after bank bosses grew suspicious.

She stole $463,498.80 and has repaid about $36,000 from her superannuation fund. Westpac has honoured the debt to the nine affected account holders.

Other relatives were unwilling to comment but colleagues and friends of the couple say they were "normal".

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said Scott and her husband appeared to be a "happy, regular couple".

Cairns said he could not discuss how Scott's husband had remained oblivious to her offending until after sentencing.

Westpac media relations manager Craig Dowling said the bank had taken Scott's behaviour seriously and staff had ensured victims hadn't suffered financial loss. "There is always considerable impact on people as a result of fraud, particularly in a tight community."

Westpac woes

July 2009 - Long-term customer Roger Griffiths withdraws $192,000 in $20 notes from his Westpac account after the bank refuses his mortgage application.

May 2009 - Rotorua couple Leo Gao and Kara Gao-Hurring flee the country after a Westpac employee credits Leo's account with $10 million overdraft.

May 2009 - A Napier couple find $12m mistakenly deposited into their account.

September 2006 - A blunder during a mailing campaign to 100,000 customers sees thousands of Westpac customers receive bills for credit cards they no longer had.

Source: www.nzherald.co.nz  Rebecca Lewis
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/alexandra/news/article.cfm?l_id=158&objectid=10586663&pnum=1

Bank worker close to sack

Article published: 10:03 AM Monday July 20, 2009

Bank mistake gives NZ couple millions

The couple flees overseas Bank worker says she is now set for the sack

The  Kiwi bank employee behind a decimal point blunder that handed millions to a fugitive couple is set to get the sack.

The Westpac staff member responsible for crediting a young New Zealander and his girlfriend with $NZ10 million ($8.05 million) has told a newspaper she is to be "managed out" of her job this week. Her error, in which the decimal point for a $NZ100,000 ($80,500) overdraft facility was misplaced, has proven both embarrassing and hugely costly for the Australian-owned bank. Leo Gao, who owned a failed petrol station in the tourist town of Rotorua, managed to transfer $NZ3.8 million ($3.06 million) of it into an overseas account before fleeing to China and the casino mecca, Macau, in May.

His girlfriend, Kara Hurring, business partner Huan Di Zhang and mother Lei Gao have also disappeared. A source close to the unidentified worker told New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times newspaper she was under intense scrutiny and has been put on stress leave since the incident. "She said: 'They are going to try to manage me out' and that's exactly what's happening," the source said.

The source said the mistake had been "highly, highly upsetting" for the woman, who had more than 30 years' banking experience. If fired, she was in danger of losing her house and the chances of finding another bank job in the recession were slim because "she's no spring chicken". The source said: "It's very disappointing the bank is hanging her out to dry."

"It's phenomenal she's being treated like this - mistakes like this happen all the time in the banking industry. "The only reason she's getting it in the neck is because the a---hole took off with the money." Meanwhile, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper, who is heading the police investigation, said efforts to track down Mr Gao were "progressing as expected".

"We're still doing our investigations and we're getting closer," he said. But he dismissed as "media stuff" recent claims that Ms Hurring, who had an on-again off-again relationship with Mr Gao, planned to come home soon and cut a deal with police to give evidence against Mr Gao.
There have been other claims that it will be impossible to bring Mr Gao to justice in New Zealand without co-operation from Chinese authorities.

This is because there is no extradition agreements between the two nations and Mr Gao, with his millions, could be considered an attractive asset to China.

Source: www.news.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/westpac-staffer-set-for-sack-over-8m-error/story-0-1225752118421?from=public_rss

China's Great Wall of Paper

Article published: 4:00 AM Saturday July 11, 2009 

 

Great wall of paper buying fugitives time

Bank runners Leo Gao and Kara Hurring are not being pursued by New Zealand Police in China. Nine weeks after the pair fled the country with $3.8 million of mistakenly directed bank money, police are still undertaking "the legal process" required to put officers on Chinese soil.

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper refused to comment on the specifics of the process. "We are still working through a legal process," he told the Weekend Herald. "Until the legal process is complete we cannot operate in a foreign country without some agreement."

He did not know whether Chinese authorities were actively looking for the fugitives.
The pair - whose disappearance sparked international debate about falsely awarded money - have been on the run since the first week of May.

Source: NZ Herald Rachel Tiffen
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-police/news/article.cfm?o_id=131&objectid=10583815&pnum=1

End of the Road....or is it a bluff!

Article published: 1:56 PM Sunday July 5, 2009   

Police close in on accidental millionaires

Police say they are closing in on the Rotorua couple who fled the country after a banking error left the pair millions of dollars richer.

In May, Leo Gao and Kara Hurring skipped the country for Hong Kong after Westpac mistakenly credited Mr 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.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper, told the Sunday News a crucial breakthrough was imminent. "I think if you were to ring back in two to three weeks it would be closer to the time," Mr Loper said. "The investigation is ongoing."

Police have sought the help of Chinese authorities to track Gao, 29, and Hurring, 30, and secure their return to New Zealand.

Property of Gao's business partner has been seized by Westpac in its efforts to recover missing funds. Gao's Rotorua service station had been placed into receivership in May and he also owed Westpac $245,000 on a mortgage on his Rotorua home.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10582659&pnum=1

Chasing Cops still on the case

Article published: 7:42 AM Wednesday July 1, 2009  

Hunt continues for NZ runaway millionaires

Police are still chasing the New Zealand couple who left home in a hurry after they discovered their bank had accidentally deposited $10 million into their account, instead of the $100,000 they had asked for.

Leo Gao and Kara Hurring have been on the run since May.

When Westpac accidently put $10 million in their bank account, the couple did what many only dream about: they closed up their petrol station in Rotorua and booked two flights to Hong Kong. They were spotted in Asia, but then disappeared again.

Abigail Hartevelt is a journalist at Rotorua's Daily Post Newspaper, which broke the story of New Zealand's accidental millionaires. "It was a huge story and particularly the first week. We ran it most days on the front page," she said. "People just kept on talking about it and had lots of people talking about what was the latest on these two people that had run away with millions of dollars." She says people in Rotorua are still asking what has happened to them. "We're getting a little bit of interest still, just waiting to hear," she said.

Abandoned BP Barnetts Rotorua Petrol Station

Westpac is also waiting anxiously to hear. Leo Gao and Kara Hurring got away with more than $3 million of the bank's money. 

Trail gone cold

In recent weeks, the trail appears to have gone cold. The Rotorua detective heading the investigation admitted he did not have anything new to add. The only thing he would say is that police are "hamstrung" until they get an application back from their headquarters in Wellington. He would not go into any more detail. One of the private investigators employed by Westpac is now back in New Zealand. He is also tight-lipped but did say he no longer has a contract with the bank.

Guy Underwood is the CEO of Risq, a company which specialises in tracking down fraudsters and is not surprised things are taking so long. "Had this have been a simple situation, where the money was placed into the account in New Zealand, they remained at their home abode or at their work and the funds had remained in an account, or accounts within New Zealand, this would have been well and truly wrapped up," he said.  "As soon as you start talking about funds being sent offshore, and the persons of interest fleeing the jurisdiction as well, it just multiplies tenfold the difficulties."

He says if he were a gambling man he would put his money on them being caught. "Whether or not they hand themselves in because of remorse, or whether they're talked into it, talked into doing it," he said. "But I think whilst it's a substantial amount of funds, it's not sufficient funds to disappear off the face of the earth  "And with the complex laws that are in place around the world in terms of anti-moneying law and counter-terrorism laws etc., needing proof of identity to open bank accounts etc, I'd be surprised if they're not apprehended at some stage.

"Timing could be different and it might be next week, it might be next month, it might be next year but I'd be very surprised if they're not caught."

Source: abc.net.au Kerri Ritchie
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/01/2613137.htm?section=business