The Suva High Court has ordered that assets which were acquired through illicit means in a money laundering case be forfeited to the State.
The Court has granted the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution’s (ODPP) application for a non-conviction-based forfeiture regarding properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The case was that of Aidong Zhang who was found guilty on charges of obtaining property by deception and money laundering
Between June 1, 2014, and January 31, 2016, Aidong Zhang had deceptively obtained property and engaged directly or indirectly in money laundering in the amount of $1,240,740.74.
“He had obtained the money by deception from the complainant who was his business partner on the pretext that the said properties were being sold at $5.5 million instead of its actual price of $3.3 million,” said the ODPP>
“These assets, which include a mix of properties will be sold and the corresponding proceeds will be forfeited in accordance with the High Court’s ruling.”
“This judgment underscores the ODPP’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that criminals are deprived of the proceeds of crime and we will relentlessly pursue, and target properties derived from criminal operations.”
