daniel chigunwe
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A CHINESE businesswoman accused of defrauding a local company, Icy Bay (Private) Limited, of US$160 000 through the use of a counterfeit lithium export permit, has been denied bail.
Li Qiuyi, a shareholder in Li Jia Investments (Private) Limited, yesterday appeared before magistrate Mr Isheanesu Matova, who ruled her ineligible for bail due to her unlawful residency in Zimbabwe since February 2023 and an outstanding warrant for overstaying her visa.
Magistrate Matova ruled that both the gravity of the charges and Li’s immigration violations, meant that her release on bail would undermine the interests of justice.
As a result, Li has been remanded in custody while investigations continue.
The complainant, Icy Bay, represented by shareholder Hu Pengfei, alleges that in August 2023, its manager, Qian Han, sought assistance on WeChat to obtain a LEPL for the company.
Responding to the request, Li purportedly used her WeChat ID, “Wxid s40saj2ftwy22,” to claim she had influential connections with the First Family and could secure the licence through her company, Li Jia Investments, for a fee of US$160 000.
According to the State, Li persuaded Icy Bay representatives, Qian Han and Hu Pengfei, to meet her at her residence on September 21, 2023.
During the meeting, they were instructed to hand over an initial payment of US$100 000 to her alleged accomplice, Zhang Xianghong.
Zhang, who is evading authorities, later received the outstanding US$60 000 on October 7, 2023, during a second meeting at Li’s residence.
In November 2023, Li allegedly sent Icy Bay a document she claimed was a valid LEPL, bearing reference number 23448765U and licence number 1289, via WeChat.
However, when Icy Bay attempted to use the permit to export lithium on October 27, 2023, Customs and Excise Department declared the licence fraudulent.
Realising they had been deceived, the company promptly reported the matter to the police.
The alleged scam has left Icy Bay without any funds recovered to date. Meanwhile, Li’s alleged accomplice, Zhang Xianghong, remains at large, further complicating the investigation.
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