China extradites duty crime suspect from Bulgaria

Yao Jinqi, a duty crime suspect and former deputy head of Xinchang County in east China's Zhejiang Province, was extradited Friday to China from Bulgaria.

Yao, who fled abroad in December 2005, became the first former civil servant China extradited from an EU member state.

Coordinated by an office in charge of fugitive repatriation and asset recovery under China's central anti-corruption coordination group, it was also the first successful extradition case since China's National Supervisory Commission was established in March.

Born in 1956, Yao was suspected of taking advantage of his posts to accept huge amounts of money and property from others on multiple occasions and was listed in an Interpol Red Notice on Oct. 3, 2018, before being arrested by the Bulgarian police according to the notice two weeks later.

On Monday, a court in Sofia, Bulgaria made an arbitrament to agree to extradite Yao to China.

The extradition was a successful practice to convert the strengths of the country's supervisory system into efficiency in governance and showcased the achievements China has made in international cooperation in anti-corruption efforts over the years, according to the office.

"Justice will never be undone," the office said in a statement, telling all corrupt fugitives to turn themselves in as soon as possible for leniency.