The Presidency said it has uncovered a plot by a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to seize Nigerian government‘s assets abroad, including presidential jets in Paris.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the attempt as “fraudulent” and assured Nigerians that the government was working to protect national assets from “predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors”.
“The Presidency is aware of the various failed attempts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge,” Onanuga said.
“The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government”, he added.
Onanuga noted that the federal government was working with the Ogun State Government to quash the “frivolous order” in Paris and assured Nigerians that the government will always work to protect national assets.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately. Nigerian Government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors,” he said.
The Presidency also alleged that Zhongshan had misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law.
“This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed. Like the P&ID case, foreign companies are trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats. Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu,” Onanuga said.
Furthermore, Onanuga stated that the federal government is convinced that Zhongshan misled the Judicial Court of Paris and did not fully disclose the facts of the case.
“Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them,” he said.
The post Presidency exposes Chinese firm’s ‘fraudulent’ move to seize presidential jets, other assets appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Naomisophyblog.
