Chinese company denies perlemoen smuggling in SA

Despite claiming to oversee every container shipped out of SA by Blue Fin Marine Trading, the company’s director has denied any involvement in or knowledge of more than 40 tonnes of illegal perlemoen hidden among meat and other animal products destined for China. The Herald reports Kai Ou Yang was the first of the three accused called to the witness box last week, after the state closed its case in the Eastern Cape High Court (Gqeberha) earlier this month. During cross-examination by state Advocate Benedict Wilson, the Chinese national’s version of events was rife with contradictions and he was unable to account for certain questions arising from previous witness testimonies. Ou Yang, Chu-Kai Chang and Blue Fin Marine Trading, represented by Ou Yang’s wife, Hsien-Chu Ou Yang, face multiple charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud. They are accused of trying to illegally export about 40 tonnes of perlemoen, worth R100m, in shipping containers destined for China between February 2017 and January 2018. In his testimony, Ou Yang said his company never touched perlemoen, legally or otherwise, because of its sensitive nature in SA. However, it is the state’s case the accused were attempting to smuggle perlemoen by hiding it in boxes with frozen meat products, including beef bones and tripe.

Full report in The Herald