Fugitive John McAfee arrested in Guatemala

John McAfee, the founder of anti-virus software maker McAfee, has been arrested in Guatemala, accused of entering the country illegally. He crossed the border to seek political asylum, having been on the run in Belize where police are investigating the death of his neighbour. Belize officials said the software pioneer was a "person of interest" in the murder of Florida businessman Gregory Faull on 11 November.

Mr McAfee has protested his innocence. He says on his blog that he has been "harassed" by police, and that this was the reason he fled Belize. There is no international arrest warrant for multi-millionaire fugitive.  Guatemalan Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said Mr McAfee was arrested at a hotel in an affluent area of the capital, Guatemala City.

Bubble gum disguise

Appearing in public for the first time in weeks on Tuesday, Mr McAfee and his lawyer had said he would petition the Guatemalan government to stay there. "Belize does not have a good track record of providing safety when they ask to question you. I felt much more secure crossing the border," said Mr McAfee.  He reportedly checked into the five star Villa Real hotel in Guatemala City earlier on Wednesday having sneaked out of Belize.  The 67-year old revealed that in order to go unnoticed, he changed his appearance by dying his hair and beard, sticking chewed bubble gum to his upper gums to fatten his face and staining his teeth.

Gregory Faull was found dead with a single gunshot to the head on 11 November. His Belize home sits next to Mr McAfee's compound on a tropical island.  The US software creator is known to have had a long-running row with Mr Faull about the guard dogs he used to protect his compound.

He denies any involvement in the businessman's death and says he went into hiding so he could stay close to his Belize home and conduct his own investigation into Mr Faull's death, adding that he had little faith that the island's police would find the murderer.

In an interview with US TV station NBC, Mr McAfee offered a reward of $25,000 (£15,700) for the capture of the "person or persons" behind the killing.

McAfee has led an eccentric life since he sold his stake in the anti-virus software company that bears his name in the early 1990s. He moved to Belize about three years ago seeking lower taxes and has lived in semi-seclusion on a heavily guarded compound until recently.

Source:BBC News