Four top executives of the Tian Tang Group of Companies, Chinese nationals facing charges related to attempted murder, were granted bail by Mukono Chief Magistrate Roselyn Nsenge. The accused, identified as Lian Kai, Bin Ding, Chen Cheng, and Wu Zhang, also known as Martin, were remanded to Kauga Prison on September 23, 2024, and later transferred to Luzira Prison in Murchison Bay.
On the morning of September 30, 2024, the four appeared at Mukono Magistrate’s Court in handcuffs for their bail hearing. At around 10:22 am, Magistrate Nsenge addressed the sureties, emphasizing their responsibility to ensure the accused attended all court proceedings as required. She granted each of the four defendants a cash bail of UGX 10 million. Their sureties were bonded at UGX 100 million, non-cash.
Magistrate Nsenge made it clear that the granting of bail did not signify the end of the case, advising the defendants to strictly adhere to the bail conditions. The case was adjourned until October 31, 2024.
Background of the Case
The four executives were charged following an incident on September 17, 2024, where they allegedly assaulted and attempted to murder two individuals, Qingshang and his son Liu Hanbin, at a gathering in Namanve. The gathering, meant to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, escalated into violence. Preliminary investigations revealed a complicated business relationship between the accused and the victims.
The conflict dates back to a business deal initiated in 2019 when Wu Zhang, one of the Tian Tang executives, convinced Qingshan to invest in Uganda. The parties had agreed to establish a company involved in assembling automobiles at the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park. Zhang’s contributions, including land, buildings, and other assets, accounted for 15% of his shares in the company.
However, a disagreement arose, and Qingshan reportedly left the deal and demanded a return on his investment. This led to further tensions when it was revealed that Qingshan had registered two new competing companies, Watu Auto Works Uganda Ltd and NEC-WATU Automobile Uganda Ltd, without informing the other shareholders of Tian Tang. These companies used premises previously allocated to the original business, resulting in significant financial losses for the other shareholders.
In addition to the dispute over competing businesses, Tian Tang accused Qingshan of forging the signature of their chairperson on company documents to manipulate shareholding in his favor. Despite attempts to mediate the conflict, including intervention by Col. Edith Nakalema of the State House Investors Protection Unit and Lt. Gen. James Mugira, Managing Director of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the situation remained unresolved.
Tian Tang, in a public statement, reaffirmed its commitment to conducting business truthfully and professionally, despite the challenges arising from the internal dispute.
