A Kano State High Court, led by Justice Sanusi Ma’aji, has ordered the remand of Chinese national Zhang Qunfang following allegations of forgery and property destruction.
The case involves a dispute over property belonging to Huafei International Nigeria Ltd, located at No 52 Hadejia Road, Gezawa District, Kano State.
During the arraignment, prosecution counsel Eristio Asaph stated that the charges were filed on October 3, 2024, and requested permission to read the charges to the defendant. However, defence counsel Ibrahim Chedi objected, arguing that the defendant was only served that day and claiming that she had been arrested by INTERPOL in Abuja and granted administrative bail.
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Chedi highlighted that the law requires the charge sheet to be served within seven days, as per Section 127 Sub 2 of the ACJL 2019, and sought an adjournment to allow the defendant to retain her administrative bail. In response, the prosecution claimed that Zhang refused to accept the charge sheet after being released on bail.
After considering both sides, Justice Ma’aji allowed the charges to be read. The indictment alleges that Qunfang forged the signature of a complainant, Mr. Zhu Bin, to add her name as a signatory and withdrew $80,000 from the company’s account without authorization. It also accuses her of willfully demolishing a building owned by Huafei International Nigeria Ltd.
Zhang Qunfang pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution requested additional time to respond to the defence’s bail application. Consequently, Justice Ma’aji scheduled a hearing for the bail application on November 1, 2024, while ordering the defendant’s remand in a correctional facility.
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