Chinese businessman arrested in Malawi for counterfeit

Chinese national Chain Weging, 41,   has been arrested in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe for counterfeiting wool products from Sakiza Spinning Limited who are licensed by Malawi Bureau of Standards to produce and market Mwana Cryl and Robin wools in Malawi.

Lilongwe Police Public Relations Officer, Kingsley Dandaula confirmed that Weging who is currently on bail was questioned on the charges and further investigations also revealed that he under declared his merchandise to evade tax close to K10 million.

Dandaula said the arrest followed complaints from Sakiza Spinning Limited Managing Director, Shashia Mishia, that their products were being forged by a Chinese businessman.

“We received a complaint that a Chinese businessman was forging some wool products from Sakiza Spinning Limited who said received a lot of complaints from customers about substandard wool and they established that it was coming from Weging. Police officers went on the ground and discovered that it was true.

“He was arrested in December and he is on bail awaiting trial. He allegedly took a sample to China where a company produced counterfeits of Mwana Cryl and Robin wools which were being sold in Blantyre and Lilongwe,” he said.

Dandaula added that he had been charged with counterfeiting contrary to Section 388 of the Penal Code and is expected to stand trial when courts resume their duties.

He also said that all wool at his warehouse and market was withdrawn and some was confiscated by Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) for being undervalued upon entry which caused a loss of about K10 million of MRA revenue.