'Runaway' says he misses his ex-lover, Kara, the mother of his children.
So-called runaway millionaire Leo Gao has broken his silence to tell of his conflicting emotions over watching his former lover and alleged accomplice face justice this week.
Hui "Leo" Gao, 31, is banned by a court order from having any contact with Kara Hurring and said the situation was "very hard".
Asked if he still had feelings for her, he replied: "Of course, she is the mother of my children. I want to wish her well. And say 'good luck'. She is innocent," he said, the day before she was convicted on Friday of 30 charges related to the missing millions.
The Herald on Sunday tracked down Gao to the Auckland address where he is on bail awaiting his trial.
Gao said he was looking forward to the chance to clear his name when he faces trial for 16 charges of theft and two charges of money-laundering in relation to the $10m that was mistakenly placed in his bank account.
"I would like to because you know there is always another side," he said. "I have been judged by everyone."
However, Gao refused to say what he had done with the missing $6.8m.
"You find out," he said. "I have to go now."
Strict release conditions mean he has to wear an electronic bracelet to record his whereabouts at all times and must alert authorities if he leaves the address.
Gao said he was happy to be reunited with family in New Zealand since he was extradited from Hong Kong.
Hurring has full custody of their two children, but Gao was taking care of their young son, born during their China trip, during her trial.
Gao said he watched Hurring's trial on television and had read newspaper reports.
In 2009, Gao left for China the day after Westpac mistakenly deposited $10m into his bank account.
He had asked for a $100,000 bank loan to rescue his failing Rotorua service station.
Four days later Hurring and her daughter left and went to Hong Kong. They travelled to Macau and mainland China, spending along the way.
Gao was arrested in Hong Kong last September and extradited to New Zealand. Hurring was charged after returning to New Zealand last year. She has been released on bail until her sentence on August 24. Gao is back in court next week.
Crown prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch was happy with the outcome of the trial.
"The jury didn't take a long time to reach the verdict but there was one issue which was common to all the charges, that was the state of knowledge of the offender at the time of all the transactions."
"Once they established the fact she knew about the overdraft and that there was no lawful entitlement to it then that answer followed every single charge they had to consider."
A Westpac spokesman thanked New Zealand police for their efforts in the case.