TV3 reported last night that Hurring and Gao conceived their son after fleeing New Zealand.
The baby boy was born there but Hurring brought him back here when she was forced to leave China due to an issue with her passport.
It is understood her passport may have been frozen, meaning she had to apply for a special travel document to return to New Zealand. That application alerted authorities, who picked her and the baby up when they landed at Auckland International Airport.
But when she reappeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday, the original charges were dropped and replaced by fresh charges, including two of international money laundering to the value of more than HK$1.5 million [$230,000] relating to activities in Macau. A further 26 charges of theft to the value of approximately $11,000 were also laid, as well as two counts of attempting to use a document.
While the original charges were removed, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said the new ones were still considered serious, and now included an international element.
"This case has been treated seriously by police since the beginning.
"There is still a lot of work going on behind the scenes, but for obvious reasons, we are not in a position to be able to discuss that. Having said that, we are still actively seeking Mr Gao in relation to the theft of $6,782,000."
Hurring's alleged co-offender Gao was the holder of the business account the $10 million was deposited into. The latest charges do not include him.
In court yesterday, Hurring's lawyer, Simon Lance, told Judge Chris McGuire he would be making an application to have all the charges dismissed. Alternatively they would be strenuously defended.
He said Hurring was anxious to return to Hong Kong where her 7-year-old daughter remained and where she had a job.
Judge McGuire adjourned the matter until August 24.
- additional reporting NZPA
