A Kano State High Court on Tuesday ordered the remand of Zhang Qunfang, a Chinese woman in a correctional facility for alleged forgery and property destruction belonging to belonging to Huafei International Nigeria Ltd, located at No. 52 Hadejia Road, Gezawa District Area, Kano State.
When the case came up before Justice Ma’aji for arraignment, prosecution counsel, Eristio Asaph from the legal department of Force Headquarters, said the charge was dated 2nd October and filed 3rd October 2024, applying for the court to grant leave allowing the charge to be read to the defendant.
Ibrahim Abdullahi Chedi, the defence counsel, objected to the prosecution’s request to read the charges to the defendant, arguing that the case wasn’t ripe for arraignment since the defendant was served on the same day.
He also mentioned that the defendant was arrested by INTERPOL in Abuja and granted administrative bail.
Chedi said the law requires that the charge sheet be served on the defendant within seven days as stipulated in Section 127 Sub 2 of ACJL 2019.
The counsel prayed the court to adjourn its sitting and allow the defendant to continue enjoying administrative bail earlier granted.
In his response, the prosecution counsel said the defendant refused to collect the charge sheet after she was granted administrative bail.
After considering arguments from both prosecution and defence counsel, Justice Ma’aji granted leave for the two-count charge to be read to the defendant.
According to the content of the charge, Qunfang allegedly requested her name be added as a signatory and forged the signature of a complainant Mr Zhu Bin (a company’s client), and withdrew from the company’s account through her token the sum of $80,000 without approval of other directors of the company.
The charge sheet additionally alleged that the defendant willfully demolished a building owned by Huafei International Nigeria Ltd.
The prosecution asserted that the two-count charge violated sections of the Penal Code Law.
In response, Zhang Qunfang entered a plea of not guilty to the two-count charge.
The prosecution counsel requested an adjournment to respond to the bail application filed by the defence counsel.
Consequently, Justice Ma’aji adjourned the sitting until November 1, 2024, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendant’s remand in a custodial centre.