I do not support any extension of Tian Lun’s development lease along Queen Elizabeth Drive - Chaudhry

Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry has made a strong statement saying he does not support any extension of the Tian Lun Investment’s development lease and certainly not the grant of a 99 year lease for the state land and state tiri land along Queen Elizabeth Drive.

Chaudhry says there are too many serious questions pertaining to the credentials of the company which need to be investigated.

He says it is unbelievable that a company proposing to undertake a development of $600 million would virtually have no public information on its past activities, be without support of a holding or a parent company and be unable to proceed with any meaningful development work for 4 years after the grant of the development lease.

The former Prime Minister says Tian Lun Investment was granted a 5 year development lease over 36 hectares of state land in September 2018.

He says the company did not undertake any noticeable work on the land for a good 4 years.

Chaudhry says not much is known about the company itself except that it was first registered on 13th September 2016 with one Chinese national, Li Jialin (former name Jason) as the sole shareholder/director.

He says one Peter Ledua was named as the contact person.

The company’s office address was given as Lot 73 Gordon Street, Suva.

The company was re-registered on 2nd March 2021 with a change of address of its registered office to Level 2 Stands House, 2 Gordon Street, Suva.

However, Chaudhry says the shareholding had changed from $6 million to $250,000.

He says Li Jialin remained the sole Director/Shareholder - a one man company.

Chaudhry also says the Registrar of Companies records show no annual returns were filed by the company between 2016 and 2022.

The Labour Leader says the company did not disclose its primary activity in the registration form, stating: “Not applicable for Company and Foreign Company”.

Chaudhry says the form also showed that the company did not have an Ultimate Holding Company.

Labour says a Google search of the company shows only Investment Fiji on the screen.

Enquiries at Investment Fiji revealed that they had no contact with the company and had no information on the so-called $600 million proposed development project.

Chaudhry says further enquiries with the Lands Department revealed nothing of interest.

It is not known how a development lease was issued to the company with an unknown record.

Chaudhry is asking whether a due diligence was done on the company prior to the grant of the development lease in 2016.

Chaudhry also says the huge reduction in its shareholding from $6 million to $250,000 itself raises concerns about its credibility. He says there are too many issues that need a thorough investigation.

Chaudhry says the environment impact issue is another big question which the people on the whole must decide.

The Lands Minister is expected to comment later on how the state land and state tiri land leases were issued under the previous government.