As Chinese businessman Su Zhirong still cannot be found to be served with court papers that he has been sued by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Vice President’s legal team is now preparing to apply to the court for substituted service.
“This was a fixed date application case. As three attempts were made to serve him and he could not be found, you are now allowed to ask the court for substituted service…to make a publication of this…before further steps,” a source explained to Stabroek News.
The court must see evidence that attempts were made to personally serve Su the papers before a notice could be published and this newspaper understands that Jagdeo’s legal team is preparing to go to the courts to ask for this next step.
The team, a source said, is “still in the process of preparing an application for substitution. It has not been processed as yet.” When that process is finished, “it has to be filed in Court, a Judge has to hear it and grant the orders, and then there is usually an advertisement [two consecutive Saturdays in a newspaper of wide publication],” a source close to the legal team explained.
But if Su is found before that application is filed with the Court, the source said that the legal team “would withdraw and discontinue that [application]”.
Guyana’s Vice President has been at the centre of corruption allegations by Su, who is said to be a middleman and would allegedly lobby the Vice President on behalf of Chinese investors and companies. He told US-based VICE News’ Isobel Yeung, while she was undercover, that Jagdeo was his boss and “processing fees” had to be paid to him to gain access to lucrative contracts in Guyana. Jagdeo has vehemently denied these allegations and continues to do so.
The Vice President said that Su has brought his name into disrepute and globally it could mean that his image will be sullied.
“Yes, my reputation took a hit globally. They are not Guyanese so they may not know and this could be really major because it is international. This could be really big,” he said, pointing out that VICE has large viewership globally.
He has since taken Su to court in a $50 million libel suit. As had been anticipated, Su has not been seen or heard from since the scandal mushroomed.
This newspaper understands that Su was last seen in Guyana in mid-February. There has been no word on his whereabouts.
Calls to Su’s mobile number, the one on which he had spoken to this newspaper when the interview between VICE and Jagdeo was first aired earlier this year, go immediately to voicemail.
Jagdeo had in April announced that Su, his tenant and neighbour, had seemingly abandoned his place of abode, although he had paid his rent up to the end of May 2022.
Jagdeo had said that he was looking for the man he had openly claimed to be his friend to evict him from the rental property and then signalled that he would be suing Su for libel.
Stabroek News had in August also reached out to the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Guyana, the local Chinese business body, and an executive had informed that Su has since resigned from it.
Days after, two Chinese companies publicly distanced themselves from Su.
“Contrary to the public pronouncement and assumption, this is to inform the general public that Su Zhi Rong is not in any way connected with the company China Zhonghao Inc.,” a notice from the company had stated.
“Su Zhi Rong served as the Director of China Zhonghao Inc. from 26th April 2013 to 5th January 2016 on which date the Registrar of the Supreme Court was notified in writing pursuant to Section 75 of the Companies Act that he ceased to hold office as Director of the company,” it added.
China Zhonghao Inc’s address was listed as Block 12 Public Road, Land of Canaan.
The exact wording was used in a notice for forestry business Rong-An-Inc., another company that Su served as Director for. Its address was also listed as Block 12 Public Road, Land of Canaan.
However, that company stated that he served from 23rd May 2012 to 5th January 2016 and then they notified the Registrar that he was no longer a director.
It is now unclear what will happen to the number of businesses that Su owns here, which include construction, large-scale lumber and quarrying operations.
