Woman admits helping Chinese nationals fraudulently acquire ownership of a wood company

A 34-year-old Ugandan woman has admitted to helping two Chinese nationals forge documents that saw them acquired full ownership of a wood company they had initially co-owned with a fellow Chinese national.

Wei Dongqing owned 60% shares in Hongsen International Company Limited whereas Huang Yiping, 39, and Wang Bingchuan, 40 each owned 20% shares in the same company.

In October 2020, Dongqing, the majority shareholder in the company went for a trip in China  and on return, the duo had with the help of Robinah Nassuuna, 34, an accountant changed the company documents to show that Yiping now owned 80% of shares in the company and that Dongqing was no longer a director.

Nassuuna helped the duo to go to Uganda Registration Services Bureau(URSB) to file new documents indicating the said change.

On return, Dondqing was thrown of the company after being told he was no longer a director, prompting him to file a case in court.

The three including Yiping, Bingchuan and Nassuuna were arrested and charges related to  including forgery, uttering false documents and conspiracy to commit the offences slapped against them.

They were later remanded to Kitalya.

On Tuesday, when the case returned for mention, the state prosecutor, Patricia Chingtho told court that Nassuuna had entered a plea bargain agreement in which she had decided to admit to the charges for a lesser punishment but also work as a state witness.

“A plea bargain was entered between the DPP and Robinah Nassuuna and was witnessed by Elias Tumwebaze, her lawyer. Once approved, she will testify as the first witness but she will also settle for a lesser punishment,”Chingtho told court.

The trial magistrate, Siena Owomugisha later read all the nine counts for Nassuuna who in return admitted to them.

The magistrate later sentenced her to shs2 million fine or a two-year jail term for all the nine counts of forgery, uttering false documents and conspiracy to commit the offences.

Another Chinese pleads guilty

In a twist of events, one of the two Chinese nationals accused of the offences also pleaded guilty to the charges of forgery, uttering false documents and conspiracy to commit the offences.

Through is lawyer Frank Kandiho, Wang Bingchuan, 40 told court that he understands the charges against him and that he admits to have committed the offences.

He was later sentenced to a shs16 million fine having been fined shs2 million for each of the eight offences he was charged with.

The Buganda Road Court trial magistrate told the Chinese national that he can also settle for 18 months imprisonment if he cant afford the shs16 million.

Wang Bingchuan, 40 told court that he understands the charges against him and that he admits to have committed the offences.

He was later sentenced to a shs16 million fine having been fined shs2 million for each of the eight offences he was charged with.

The trial magistrate told the Chinese national that he can also settled for 18 months imprisonment if he cant afford the shs16 million.