Properties amounting to over $1.2 million were successfully obtained via a restraining order from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) last week.
The restraining order was granted through civil jurisdiction by the High Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act against property owned by Aidong Zhang, Changhui Liu, Home Finance Company Limited and New Trading Company Limited.
The properties obtained by the order include monies in the Home Finance Company Limited account belonging to Liu, two freehold properties, a house and two vehicles.
Consequently, Zhang was also charged in a criminal case brought by the ODPP for one count of obtaining property by deception and one count of money laundering.
“It is alleged that between 1 June 2014 and 31 January 2016, the accused deceptively obtained property and engaged directly or indirectly in money laundering in the amount of FJD $1,240,740.74,” the ODPP stated.
The matter was adjourned to Friday last week, February 3. In a separate issue, a Stop Order was issued to a Chinese company developing property at Sovi Bay along the Coral Coast.
In an interview with the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation(ODPP), Minister for Lands, Faiyaz Koya confirmed that the order was issued to avoid the diversion of a river next to the development site, which consists of 7 acres of native land leased by villagers of Vatukarasa.
These landowners claim that the developers had amended their plans several times without properly consulting them and obtaining permission. They said the river was a main source of livelihood but been partially blocked by the development.
They told FBC that the development was initially planned for agricultural purposes, and then changed to commercial developments.
The Bay area is a landmark of the Coral Coast, home to a considerable tourism precinct between Sigatoka Town and Pacific Harbour.
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