Posted by By MARTINS NWANNE on
The Chinese managing director of a fishing company in Lagos (names withheld), has fled the country after allegedly defrauding the company of millions of naira.
The Chinese managing director of a fishing company in Lagos (names withheld), has fled the country after allegedly defrauding the company of millions of naira. Documents made available to Daily Sun by the acting managing director of the company indicate that the fleeing managing director and his Nigerian colleagues were stripped of their positions at the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on September 15, 2005 in Abuja.
When they resisted their removal and refused to hand over to the newly appointed directors, Daily Sun learnt that the newly packaged board decided to compel them to surrender company's properties in their possession.
The runaway managing director, it was also revealed, took with him, three shrimping vessels owned by the company and 18 Chinese sailors, without the knowledge and approval of the Nigerian naval authorities.
The acting managing director who spoke to Daily Sun, described the shrimping vessels as Dolphine 3 which was registered as LA467; Dolphine 4, which was registered as LA468 and Dolphine 10 which was registered as LA743.
Further investigations show that relevant authorities including the Nigeria Maritime Authority (NMA) were kept in the dark by the fleeing Chinese managing director and the 18 sailors.
Trouble started when the company's shareholders discovered that the former managing director, in collaboration with some members of the former management defrauded the company.
One of such frauds, according to the company, was the illegal transfer of 800,000 shares without the knowledge of both the board and the shareholders, by the Chinese chief executive.
Another director, the company said, illegally withdrew N377,000.00 from the company's bank account in Lagos, without the second signatory, (the Chinese managing director), now said to be in China.
The same man (whose names are also withheld) removed 18 files and seven envelopes stuffed with documents relating to the company but was stopped by the police, whom the company was compelled to alert.
The matter was transferred from Trinity Police Station in Olodi, to State Criminal Investigation Department, (SCID) in Yaba where the affected director was granted bail
Attempts to speak to the Nigerian director of the company in his Victoria Island home failed. His wife who spoke through their domestic securitymen told Daily Sun that 'the oga no de for house."