'Come forward man' - Belize PM tells technology millionaire John McAfee to hand himself in as police seek to question him over murder of neighbour

John McAfee: 'I have modified my appearance in a radical fashion' (Reuters)

The Prime Minister of Belize has called for the technology millionaire John McAfee to ‘come forward’, as police seek to interview him in relation to the death of one of his neighbours.

In a series of interviews with Wired magazine, McAfee gave updates on his whereabouts, describing how he was lying on the floor of taxis and sleeping in a lice-infested bed.

He also said he had dyed his eyebrows, beard and moustache black - saying of his disguise: “I have modified my appearance in a radical fashion. I'll probably look like a murderer, unfortunately.”

He revealed he was moving every four hours in the Central American jungle in order to evade the authorities. He told the Associated Press that he is with a young woman in hiding, but did not reveal her identity.

Speaking earlier this week McAfee said he feared that Belize's notorious Gang Suppression Unit, the GSU, a paramilitary-style squad that has been accused of rough treatment, and that raided another property McAfee owns in Belize in April, would beat him and he would later die in custody.

“The GSU will do what the GSU does, beat me soundly until I confess to a multitude of sins, including I guess the murder of Jimmy Hoffa, and then just execute me,” McAfee said.

He accused authorities of detaining his friends and associates in a bid to pressure him to turn himself in.

“Of course, and it's almost working,” McAfee said. “I'm sitting here, the young woman who is with me now and who has been by my side, and trying to keep me upbeat through this, I said, 'You know, I'll just call and say I'll turn myself in, just let these people go.' And she said, 'Absolutely not, they will kill you.”'

Speaking to Wired he also said: “I'm holed up in a place, a mattress here has lice. I've never experienced this before. I'm holed up, I have limited contact with anyone. It's a small country, I'm a white man with unique features. If I leave this house I would be identified instantly. I will not turn myself in. I am adept at hiding. I will do whatever it takes to stay alive.

”You can say I'm paranoid about it but they will kill me, there is no question. They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me.“

The Belize prime minister Dean Barrow dismissed McAfee's claims as ”hugely exaggerated“, and called for him to “come forward man”.

The multi-millionaire famous for developing the McAfee virus protection software, has a $1.5m beachside villa on the island Ambergris Caye off the Belize coast.

He started his company in the1980s and reportedly made $100m.

McAfee has repeatedly denied killing his neighbour Gregory Viant Faull, 52, a retired American builder from Florida.