Rich Chinese language Businessman Sentenced in Bordeaux Wine Scandal: “The Man of the 25 Castles”

Naijie Qu, a rich Chinese language businessman, founder and head of the Haichang group, developed a ardour for Bordeaux wine. Within the winery the place there was an open desk, some nicknamed him “the person of the 25 castles”.The journey ended on Wednesday within the felony court docket…

Naijie Qu, a rich Chinese language businessman, founder and head of the Haichang group, developed a ardour for Bordeaux wine. Within the winery the place there was an open desk, some nicknamed him “the person of the 25 castles”. The journey ended this Wednesday earlier than the Paris Prison Courtroom, which sentenced him to 3 years in jail and a advantageous of 1 million euros for laundering, defrauding public funds and tax evasion.

35 million property included

Justice accuses the businessman of shopping for because of Chinese language subsidies that had been initially designed for digital innovation. An opaque circuit involving Haichang’s French subsidiaries in addition to an organization based mostly within the British Virgin Islands would have made it doable to cover the truth that every fort buy was made by an organization based mostly in Hong Kong. Fraudulent notarial acts supposed to buy the products would even have allowed Haichang to acquire a financial institution mortgage of 30 million euros (this has since been repaid).

The publication of the case raised an ideal sensation in Gironde within the 2010s, and the Bordeaux market spared no effort to draw rich Chinese language traders. Additionally charged, the accounting agency that was led on the time by the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Trade (CCI) Pierre Goguet was acquitted.

The courts ordered the confiscation of the 9 seized castles, bringing the quantity of property confiscated on this case to over 35 million. A companion of Naijie Qu was sentenced to eighteen months in jail and a advantageous of fifty,000 euros for forgery and fraud.

“These individuals didn’t take cash from anybody. They’re accused of imposing subsidies in China, the place there aren’t any authorized proceedings in opposition to them. As for the loans, they had been repaid. The tax authorities didn’t file a criticism. And but, we condemn them,” stated Me Delhomme, the businessman’s lawyer. He now plans to enchantment.