A CHINESE banker spent eight cold, hungry years living on the run in the forest after he was accused of stealing 30 million yuan (€3.5 million).
Chen Jianxue (42), formerly vice-director of China Agricultural Bank in Lingao, Hainan province, lived in tunnels and forest during the period, but this month decided to give himself up after visiting his family, saying he had lived like a wild man for the whole period and never got a decent night’s sleep.
“It feels so good,” he said from custody, after getting some rest. “I didn’t know if I was a human or a ghost.”
An inquiry into bank corruption in 2003 revealed 34 staffers were corrupt. Mr Chen fled into a forest near where he grew up.
He dug tunnels, hiding from manhunts involving hundreds of police officers. In 2005 the police issued a 100,000 yuan reward for any information on him. “I jumped from the mountain into the river, hid in the caves by the river, with big leaves covering my face,” he said. “Some of the police officers were carrying guns, some had batons, others approached slowly with police dogs. I could see it all clearly, scared to death.”
Now in custody awaiting trial, he had foraged for sweet potatoes and drank water from streams.
In 2004, he had returned home and began living secretly with his wife, but had to flee after being recognised. She later spent three years in jail for concealing him.