Mahathi Infra: Oil company disowns Chinese man said to have died due to poor working conditions
Mahathi Infra Uganda Limited, a fuel exporting company has disowned a Chinese man said to have died due to poor working conditions at his work place.
A lady identified as Wang Yong Jie on Wednesday told journalists that her husband, Ji Zong Wu, 51, an employee of Mahathi Infra Uganda Limited was trafficked into the country and later started working at the company a machine fixer but had no labour contract, paid poorly, no health insurance and denied sick leave.
Wang said that later, Ji Zong later passed on under unclear circumstances after the company refused to fly him abroad for treatment over an unnamed illness.
On Thursday, the company lawyers led by Robert Kirunda of Kirunda & Wasige Advocates told journalists that the deceased has never worked for the company.
“Whereas the widow says he worked for Mahathi Infra Uganda Limited, Ji Zong Wu was not an employee of the company. It is blackmail and extortionist to allege that the company refused to compensate the widow for the death of man who was not an employee of Mahathi,” Kirunda said.
He explained that whereas the deceased worked for one of the contractors, Mahathi was not responsible for him but noted that inquiries have indicated that medical treatment for Ji Zong settled by his employer.
The lawyers blasted as defamatory and unfortunate for the deceased’s widow to try and use the company’s name for selfish interests in matters that don’t concern them.
“It is unjust for someone to use the death to attack people by accusing them of human trafficking. The deceased’s employer was not Mahathi Infra Uganda Limited but we also know it for a fact that the employer met the medical bills.”
Speaking about the law suit against the company by the Chinese widow, Kirunda said they are ready to defend themselves in court but insisted they are not responsible for an employee of one of their contractors.
“It is not right for someone to make such allegations against Mahathi Infra Limited. It is important that any aggrievances are targeted to the right people who are the employers of Ji Zong.”
The development comes a few weeks after the launch of a new fuel transporting vessel named after Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi.
