Chinese Company has released one of the three Presidential Aircrafts confiscated over contractual dispute with the Ogun state government.
The three aircrafts, the magazine reported , were seized based on the order of a court in Paris, France after the Nigerian government failed to pay the $60 million judgment sum arising from a disputed contract between a Chinese firm, Zhongshan and the Ogun state government.
The Nigerian Presidency on Wednesday accused the Chinese company of fraudulent plot to seize Nigerians assets abroad.
Zhonshan is trying “to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge,” Bayo Onanuga, a presidential spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.
However, in a statement released on Friday, the Chinese firm said it has agreed to release one of the presidential jets for President Tinubu to travel to France, next week where the Nigerian leader is expected to meet France President, Emmanuel Macron.
The Chinese firm said one of the confiscated three Presidential Jets has been released for Tinubu’s France trip as a ‘Gesture Of Goodwill’.
The company said it decided to release the aircraft because of the importance of Tinubu’s meeting with Macron.
The Chinese firm said, “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.
“It has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
“As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.”
Meanwhile, a United state court on Friday rejected Nigeria’s plea for an interlocutory injunction over the seized presidential jets on the basis that the aircratfs are diplomatic assets that cannot be confiscated.
The court threw away the prayer, saying it was wrong for the Nigerian government to breach the terms of the contract agreement.
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