http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Accused+Amanda+Zhao+death+goes+trial+China/5428881/story.html
Ang Li charged with killing his girlfriend in B.C. in 2002
By Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun
Almost nine years after Amanda Zhao was murdered in B.C., her accused killer and former boyfriend is going to trial in China.
New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwan announced Monday that a trial for Ang Li is scheduled to start in Beijing today.
Kwan said the case is unprecedented - evidence gathered by the RCMP for a crime committed in Canada has been turned over to a foreign jurisdiction for a prosecution there.
Kwan said political pressure in Canada convinced China to waive the death penalty, clearing the way for the RCMP to hand over its files.
Zhao was found stuffed in a suitcase near Stave Lake in October 2002. Li, who had been living with Zhao in Burnaby, fled to China before he could be charged in Canada.
Kwan said Zhao's relieved parents contacted her Sunday night with news the trial was finally beginning.
"They had asked us for help, reached across the seas - yelling, calling out for help - and we responded to help the family to get this case to court so justice could be served," Kwan said.
Kwan, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, held a news conference with Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth Monday, to provide the update on the high-profile case.
Farnworth said what is really needed is an extradition agreement between China and Canada so people like Li could be tried in Canadian courts.
"I would like to see an extradition treaty with China, but that is not going to happen quickly," he said.
In the meantime, bilateral cooperation like what happened in this case will at least prevent suspects from walking free, he said.
Zhao was attending a Coquitlam language school and living in a basement suite with Li and his cousin Han Zhang when Li reported her missing on Oct. 9, 2002. He claimed she had gone to the grocery store and never returned.
On Oct. 20, her body was found. Li fled to China just three days later - before the RCMP had enough evidence to recommend a charge.
The Crown finally approved a second-degree murder charge against Li on May 12, 2003, but he was long gone.
Zhang, his cousin, was charged in B.C. with being an accessory after the fact. That case was later thrown out and he also returned to China.
The Zhao family travelled to Vancouver in 2008 and met with Kwan and police to plead for justice for their daughter.
Kwan said Monday that the RCMP apologized to the parents about mistakes that had been made.
"I know that when the RCMP was here and met with the Zhao family, they were very apologetic about what had happened," Kwan said. "The court system here and the police system failed the Zhao family - there is no mistake about that."
She said Li never should have been allowed to leave Canada. And police error led to the case against Zhang being dismissed, she said.
"Those were hard lessons for the RCMP," Kwan said. "And more dramatically, hard lessons for the family."
kbolan@vancouversun.com Blog: vancouversun.com/therealscoop
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Ac...+trial+China/5428881/story.html#ixzz1Yag67QDW
Ang Li charged with killing his girlfriend in B.C. in 2002
By Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun
Almost nine years after Amanda Zhao was murdered in B.C., her accused killer and former boyfriend is going to trial in China.
New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwan announced Monday that a trial for Ang Li is scheduled to start in Beijing today.
Kwan said the case is unprecedented - evidence gathered by the RCMP for a crime committed in Canada has been turned over to a foreign jurisdiction for a prosecution there.
Kwan said political pressure in Canada convinced China to waive the death penalty, clearing the way for the RCMP to hand over its files.
Zhao was found stuffed in a suitcase near Stave Lake in October 2002. Li, who had been living with Zhao in Burnaby, fled to China before he could be charged in Canada.
Kwan said Zhao's relieved parents contacted her Sunday night with news the trial was finally beginning.
"They had asked us for help, reached across the seas - yelling, calling out for help - and we responded to help the family to get this case to court so justice could be served," Kwan said.
Kwan, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, held a news conference with Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth Monday, to provide the update on the high-profile case.
Farnworth said what is really needed is an extradition agreement between China and Canada so people like Li could be tried in Canadian courts.
"I would like to see an extradition treaty with China, but that is not going to happen quickly," he said.
In the meantime, bilateral cooperation like what happened in this case will at least prevent suspects from walking free, he said.
Zhao was attending a Coquitlam language school and living in a basement suite with Li and his cousin Han Zhang when Li reported her missing on Oct. 9, 2002. He claimed she had gone to the grocery store and never returned.
On Oct. 20, her body was found. Li fled to China just three days later - before the RCMP had enough evidence to recommend a charge.
The Crown finally approved a second-degree murder charge against Li on May 12, 2003, but he was long gone.
Zhang, his cousin, was charged in B.C. with being an accessory after the fact. That case was later thrown out and he also returned to China.
The Zhao family travelled to Vancouver in 2008 and met with Kwan and police to plead for justice for their daughter.
Kwan said Monday that the RCMP apologized to the parents about mistakes that had been made.
"I know that when the RCMP was here and met with the Zhao family, they were very apologetic about what had happened," Kwan said. "The court system here and the police system failed the Zhao family - there is no mistake about that."
She said Li never should have been allowed to leave Canada. And police error led to the case against Zhang being dismissed, she said.
"Those were hard lessons for the RCMP," Kwan said. "And more dramatically, hard lessons for the family."
kbolan@vancouversun.com Blog: vancouversun.com/therealscoop
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Ac...+trial+China/5428881/story.html#ixzz1Yag67QDW
