Delhi Court Grants Bail to Chinese National Andrew in Vivo Money Laundering Case
On November 11, Delhi’s Patiala House Court granted bail to Guangwen, also known as Andrew, a Chinese national involved in the Vivo Mobile money laundering case. Andrew, an admin manager, was arrested in October 2023 for alleged involvement in a crime worth Rs 20,000 crores. Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta considered the facts and circumstances before granting bail.
The court noted that Andrew had been in custody since October 10, 2023, and had already spent around 13 months in incarceration. The case documents are extensive, comprising 1000 pages and 16 trunks. The trial is yet to begin, and the main complaint is at the stage of document supply and service to foreign nationals.
Andrew was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs.2 lakhs with two sureties. Conditions include surrendering his passport, not leaving the country without court permission, residing at his current address, and keeping his phone operational. He must not contact co-accused or witnesses or tamper with evidence.
The defense argued that the investigation related to Andrew is complete, and the trial is unlikely to start soon. They emphasized that Andrew’s previous association with VIVO China is irrelevant to the current allegations. The Enforcement Directorate opposed the bail, claiming Andrew was a key employee involved in creating a network of companies to siphon off proceeds of crime.
Doubts Revealed
Bail -: Bail is when a person who is in jail is allowed to go home until their trial, but they have to promise to come back to court when asked.
Chinese National -: A Chinese national is a person who is a citizen of China, which means they belong to that country.
Vivo -: Vivo is a company that makes mobile phones and other electronic gadgets. It is quite popular in India for its smartphones.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is a way of hiding money that was earned from illegal activities, making it look like it came from legal sources.
Patiala House Court -: Patiala House Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where many important legal cases are heard and decided.
Rs 20,000 crores -: Rs 20,000 crores is a huge amount of money. In Indian currency, a crore is 10 million, so 20,000 crores is 200 billion rupees.
Custody -: Custody means being kept in jail or under the control of the police while waiting for a trial or legal decision.
Enforcement Directorate -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
