A businessman appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday charged with a count each of obtaining property by deception and money laundering.

Between June, 2014 and January, 2016; 53-year-old Aidong Zhang is alleged to have obtained $1,240,740.74 through a false sales and purchase agreement on the pretext of purchasing a property.

The matter was called before Magistrate Makereta Mua.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Apenisa Keresoni served first phase disclosures and objected to bail on the grounds that Zhang might interfere with the witnesses.

Sergeant Keresoni said the case should be transferred to the High Court as the amount involved more than $1 million.

Defence lawyer Avinesh Reddy applied for bail and informed the court that Zhang did not interfere with the witnesses or his business partner who was the complainant in this matter for the past eight months since the investigation started.

Mr Reddy said Zhang had been in Fiji for the past 25 years and owned two properties with his family in Fiji and was not an overseas flight risk.

Zhang has been remanded till his bail ruling tomorrow.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika