Trinidad court freezes bank accounts of Chinese nationals

(Trinidad Guardian) A High Court judge has granted an order prohibiting two Chinese nationals from disposing of close to $10 million which had been paid by a State company for the construction of a government school.

Justice Ricky Rahim granted the order to China Building Technique Group Trinidad and Tobago Ltd and two of its principals during a hearing at the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday.

The freezing order restricts Yonggoa Pan, Lijun Wang and China

Building Technique Ltd from disposing of the money which was paid to the Chinese contractor to construct the St Joseph Secondary School.

It also seeks to compel the two foreigners to disclose information about the First Citizen’s cheque and whether it had been deposited within 24 hours.

The matter has also been referred to the Fraud Squad after a report had been made claiming that a senior employee of the foreign firm, with the assistance of other people, was able to change the company’s records at the Registrar General’s office and form a new company bearing a similar name to collect the payment from the National Maintenance, Training and Security Ltd.

In May 2008, the Chinese firm was hired by the Education Facilities Company Ltd to construct the St Joseph Secondary School and now owes several local subcontractors varying sums for work done on the project.

The company claims that without access to the payment there was a real risk that it can become bankrupt.