KEY POINTS:
A man wanted in connection with a $2 million drug bust is on the run after fleeing during a special visit with Auckland lawyer Ron Mansfield.
Di Wu was meant to stand trial with a co-accused last week but went into hiding instead - forcing the hearing to proceed without him and the judge to suppress details of his disappearance until the case finished yesterday.
The 25-year-old Chinese national, who is also known as Elvis, was arrested in December 2006 after a year-long investigation into methamphetamine suppliers. He was charged with conspiracy to supply and supplying a class A drug.
On February 2 Wu, who was just days away from the start of his trial, breached his bail conditions and was arrested.
Mr Mansfield, applied for Wu to be released on bail so he could prepare for the High Court trial but a judge declined.
However the judge did allow for Wu to be remanded in custody at the Auckland Central police station - instead of the remand centre - so he could be collected from there and spend four hours a day at Mr Mansfield's chambers preparing for the trial.
On February 8 - during one of those visits - Wu fled. He has not been seen by police since.
Mr Mansfield said he contacted police to report that Wu was gone, as that was a condition of his being allowed out of custody, but declined to say if he had heard from Wu since.
Asked if Wu was being supervised before he left, Mr Mansfield said his office had done nothing wrong.
"I'm not his guardian, we have no special powers. Essentially if he wants to leave he can leave and we can't stop him."
The lawyer could not elaborate on why Wu went on the run.
When the trial ended yesterday morning, Wu's co-accused, Chen Wei Huang, was found guilty on six counts of supplying $2 million of methamphetamine. Sentencing will be in May.
Mr Mansfield said a new trial date would have to be set by the courts once Wu was found.
Anyone with information about Wu's whereabouts is asked to call Detective Sergeant Lloyd Schmid on (09) 259-0719.
