The government of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accused Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese firm, of misleading a French court in a legal dispute that led to the seizure of three presidential jets.
The company, which had its export processing zone management contract revoked by the Ogun State government in 2016, had approached the court seeking to claim assets as part of the ongoing dispute.
The Presidency has denied the allegations and asserted that the presidential jets, which are critical for state functions, cannot be subject to seizure or any such claims.
The seized jets are a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. All three aircraft are currently undergoing maintenance. The Nigerian government reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus.
An independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by a former UK Supreme Court President, had awarded Zhongshan approximately $74.5 million in compensation.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said Zhongshan is attempting to use unorthodox means to strip Nigerian government offshore assets.
Onanuga noted that the issue is between the company and the Ogun State Government.
Onanuga said, “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.
“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.
“This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions.
“We are convinced the Chinese company 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.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately,”Onanuga said.
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