中国企业：通过司法在法国扣押尼日利亚总统专机及两处物业
中山富成实业投资有限公司对尼日利亚政府资产扣押行动持续升级
近日，伦敦商业法庭批准了中国中山富成实业投资有限公司（以下简称“中山公司”）对尼日利亚政府两处住宅物业的最终扣押令。这一决定源自中山公司试图执行一项价值7,000万美元的仲裁裁决，该裁决此前因尼日利亚政府的挑战而引发法律争议。
此次纠纷始于2010年，中山公司的母公司珠海中福实业集团获得了在尼日利亚奥贡州开发自由贸易区的权利。然而，2016年，尼日利亚政府突然终止了中山公司的任命，并试图重新指派管理者。对此，中山公司根据中尼双边投资条约提起仲裁，最终赢得7,000万美元的赔偿。
Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. Escalates Seizure of Nigerian Government Assets
Recently, the London Commercial Court approved a final seizure order for two residential properties belonging to the Nigerian government by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongshan Company"), a Chinese firm. This decision stems from Zhongshan Company's efforts to enforce a $70 million arbitration award, which had previously been contested by the Nigerian government, leading to legal disputes.
The dispute dates back to 2010, when Zhongshan Company's parent company, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group, was granted the rights to develop a free trade zone in Ogun State, Nigeria. However, in 2016, the Nigerian government abruptly terminated Zhongshan Company's appointment and attempted to reassign the management of the free trade zone. In response, Zhongshan Company initiated arbitration under the China-Nigeria Bilateral Investment Treaty and ultimately secured a $70 million compensation award.
案件背景
2010年，通过其中国母公司珠海中富实业集团有限公司（以下简称“珠海公司”），中山富诚在尼日利亚西南部奥贡州（Ogun）获得奥贡广东自由贸易区（以下简称“自贸区”）的开发权。中山富诚与尼日利亚奥贡州政府的子公司OGFTZ签订了框架协议。
2011年，中山富诚成立尼日利亚子公司中富国际投资有限公司（Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE，以下简称“中富公司”），负责管理尼日利亚当地的工作。珠海公司和中富公司随后在自贸区内开展了大量投资建设工作，包括修建基础设施如道路、污水处理和电力网络，以及推销出租自贸区的单位等。
2012年，奥贡州政府任命中富公司为自贸区的临时管理人。2013年9月，中富公司与奥贡州政府签署合资协议成为自贸区永久管理人，同时收购了OGFTZ的多数股权（“2013年合资协议”）。
2016年7月，奥贡州政府宣称终止中富公司自贸区管理人的任命（同时试图委派一名新管理人，随即生效）并且采取了一系列行动，目的据说在于将中富公司驱逐出尼日利亚。仲裁裁决指出，部分中富公司的工作人员受到尼日利亚警方的骚扰，并面临被起诉和判刑的威胁。裁决中还指出，尼日利亚移民局拿走了中富公司外籍员工的签证文件，致使他们无法在尼日利亚工作。此外，当局对OFGTZ的两名高级管理人员发出了逮捕令，二人之一的赵先生 “在枪口下被捕，首先被剥夺了食物和水，然后受到恐吓和殴打，总共被拘留了10天”（见仲裁裁决第39段）。
中山富诚对尼日利亚的投资仲裁
2016年8月和9月，中富公司在尼日利亚当地法院提起诉讼，主张其对于自贸区的权益并要求获得赔偿和利息（以及其它事项）。赵先生也就其所受的虐待在当地向尼日利亚警方提起了诉讼。此外，中富公司还根据2013合资协议向奥贡州政府提出了SIAC仲裁。然而2018年初至年中，这些争议程序都被尼日利亚各级法院终结了。
2018年8月，中山富诚根据《中华人民共和国和尼日利亚双边投资协定》（“投资协定”）向尼日利亚提起了投资仲裁。仲裁庭由前英国最高法院前院长纽伯格勋爵（Lord Neuberger）担任首席仲裁员。仲裁庭于2021年3月作出最终裁决，认定尼日利亚违反了投资条约项下的义务，需要向中山富诚赔偿约7000万美元。
In 2010, through its Chinese parent company, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhuhai Company"), Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongshan Fucheng") obtained the development rights for the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as "Free Trade Zone") in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. Zhongshan Fucheng signed a framework agreement with OGFTZ, a subsidiary of the Ogun State Government.
In 2011, Zhongshan Fucheng established a Nigerian subsidiary, Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongfu Company"), to manage local operations in Nigeria. Zhuhai Company and Zhongfu Company subsequently made significant investments in the Free Trade Zone, including the construction of infrastructure such as roads, sewage treatment facilities, and power networks, as well as promoting and leasing units within the Free Trade Zone.
In 2012, the Ogun State Government appointed Zhongfu Company as the interim manager of the Free Trade Zone. In September 2013, Zhongfu Company signed a joint venture agreement with the Ogun State Government to become the permanent manager of the Free Trade Zone, while also acquiring a majority stake in OGFTZ ("2013 Joint Venture Agreement").
In July 2016, the Ogun State Government announced the termination of Zhongfu Company's appointment as the manager of the Free Trade Zone (and attempted to appoint a new manager immediately) and took a series of actions allegedly aimed at expelling Zhongfu Company from Nigeria. The arbitration award noted that some of Zhongfu Company's staff were harassed by Nigerian police and faced threats of prosecution and imprisonment. The award also mentioned that the Nigerian Immigration Service confiscated the visa documents of Zhongfu Company's expatriate employees, preventing them from working in Nigeria. Additionally, arrest warrants were issued for two senior executives of OGFTZ, one of whom, Mr. Zhao, was "arrested at gunpoint, first deprived of food and water, then intimidated and beaten, and was detained for a total of 10 days" (see paragraph 39 of the arbitration award).
Zhongshan Fucheng's Investment Arbitration Against Nigeria
In August and September 2016, Zhongfu Company filed lawsuits in local Nigerian courts, asserting its rights to the Free Trade Zone and seeking compensation and interest (among other matters). Mr. Zhao also filed a lawsuit with the Nigerian police regarding the abuse he suffered. Additionally, Zhongfu Company initiated SIAC arbitration against the Ogun State Government based on the 2013 Joint Venture Agreement. However, by early to mid-2018, these legal proceedings were terminated by various levels of Nigerian courts.
In August 2018, Zhongshan Fucheng initiated investment arbitration against Nigeria under the Bilateral Investment Treaty between the People's Republic of China and Nigeria ("Investment Treaty"). The arbitration tribunal was chaired by Lord Neuberger, former President of the UK Supreme Court. In March 2021, the tribunal issued a final award, finding that Nigeria had violated its obligations under the Investment Treaty and ordering compensation of approximately $70 million to Zhongshan Fucheng.
自贸区
2022年1月，中山公司向英国法院申请执行仲裁裁决。尽管尼日利亚政府以国家豁免权为由提出抗辩，法院最终驳回了该请求。2023年7月，英国上诉法院再次支持中山公司，并授权其对尼日利亚政府在利物浦的两处房产进行临时扣押。
对于这项最终扣押令，尼日利亚政府表示强烈反对，称这些房产用于领事服务和外交目的。然而，法官丽莎·沙利文指出，这些房产已出租多年，未用于外交活动，因此不享有主权豁免权。同时，她驳回了尼日利亚政府有关不当服务和信息披露不足的指控。
尼日利亚总统府对该判决表示不满，指责中山公司试图通过“诡计”迫使尼日利亚政府接管其海外资产。总统府特别顾问巴约·奥纳努加表示，此案涉及的是奥贡州政府与中山公司的合同纠纷，而非联邦政府的直接责任。奥纳努加还透露，中山公司曾试图在多个国家执行该仲裁裁决，但均未成功。
此外，法国法院最近批准了中山公司扣押尼日利亚三架总统专机的请求，此举引发了广泛争议。尽管如此，中山公司在近日宣布，已归还一架被扣押的总统专机，表示希望为双方的谈判创造条件。公司声明称，中山公司仍然致力于与尼日利亚政府展开严肃而实质性的谈判，以期达成合理的解决方案。
截至2024年8月，全球约有八个司法管辖区正在处理此纠纷。尽管中山公司在全球范围内提起了法律诉讼，尼日利亚联邦政府表示，将继续采取法律和外交行动，确保国家资产不被侵占。
In January 2022, Zhongshan Company applied to a UK court to enforce the arbitration award. Despite the Nigerian government's defense citing sovereign immunity, the court ultimately rejected this claim. In July 2023, the UK Court of Appeal once again ruled in favor of Zhongshan Company, authorizing the temporary seizure of two properties owned by the Nigerian government in Liverpool.
The Nigerian government strongly opposed this final seizure order, arguing that these properties were used for consular services and diplomatic purposes. However, Judge Lisa Sullivan pointed out that the properties had been rented out for many years and were not being used for diplomatic activities, thus they did not qualify for sovereign immunity. She also dismissed the Nigerian government’s allegations of improper service and inadequate disclosure.
The Nigerian Presidency expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, accusing Zhongshan Company of attempting to force the Nigerian government into taking over its overseas assets through "trickery." Presidential Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga stated that the case was actually a contractual dispute between Ogun State and Zhongshan Company, not a direct responsibility of the federal government. Onanuga also revealed that Zhongshan Company had tried to enforce the arbitration award in several countries, but without success.
Additionally, a French court recently approved Zhongshan Company's request to seize three Nigerian presidential aircraft, a move that sparked widespread controversy. Nonetheless, Zhongshan Company recently announced that it had returned one of the seized presidential aircraft, expressing a desire to create favorable conditions for negotiations between the parties. In a company statement, Zhongshan Company reiterated its commitment to engaging in serious and substantive negotiations with the Nigerian government in hopes of reaching a reasonable settlement.
As of August 2024, this dispute is being addressed in approximately eight jurisdictions worldwide. Despite Zhongshan Company's legal actions across the globe, the Nigerian federal government has vowed to continue legal and diplomatic efforts to protect the country's assets from seizure.
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