Hope India will be fair in vivo case: China
New Delhi, December 25
Claiming it was “closely following” the arrest in India of two senior employees of Chinese mobile company vivo, China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday urged New Delhi to offer a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for its companies.
The Enforcement Directorate had last week arrested two senior employees of vivo-India who were produced in a court on Saturday. They were sent to ED custody for two days and will appear in the court on Tuesday. The counsel of the vivo officials, however, told the court that they had been in ED’s “illegal custody” since Thursday.
Consular protection to arrested accused
China on Monday said it would provide consular protection to the arrested vivo employees. “The Chinese embassy and consulates in India will continue to provide consular protection and assistance to the individuals concerned in accordance with the law,” it said. PTI
“We are closely following the case. The Chinese government firmly supports Chinese businesses in safeguarding their lawful rights and interests. We hope that India will fully recognise the mutually beneficial nature of the business cooperation between the two countries and provide a fair, just, transparent and non-discriminatory environment,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.
The ED has arrested vivo-India interim CEO Hong Xuquan, CFO Harinder Dahiya, consultant Hemant Munjal, Lava International’s MD Hari Om Rai, Chinese national Guangwen and CAs Nitin Garg and Rajan Malik. The ED’s chargesheet alleges that vivo used shell companies to remit Rs 1 lakh crore abroad between 2014 and 2021.
