China charges Aussie with embezzlement: Canberra

By Jia Cheng

Australian businessman Matthew Ng, the CEO of Et-China travel services group in Guangzhou, was formally charged with embezzlement Tuesday by Chinese authorities, a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday, AFP reported.

"The Australian government is monitoring developments closely to ensure due legal process is followed. The Australian consulate-general in Guangzhou has raised the Australian government's strong interest in the case at senior levels of the Guangdong government," AFP quoted the spokeswoman as saying, two weeks after Ng was detained.

A spokeswoman at Et-China said that "the company did not receive an official letter saying Ng was charged with any offense so far."

"The period from detection to prosecution generally takes one to two months, in accordance with legal procedures. It is not reasonable for Ng to have already been charged by the court," said Xiao Shengfang, a lawyer and director at the Sino-win Law Firm in Guangdong Province.

As of press time, the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau hadn't commented on the issue.

Chinese media has reported that Ng's detention could be linked to his role in Et-China's acquisition of domestic travel agency GZL, one of the largest leisure travel companies in southern China, AFP reported.

The Yangcheng Evening News reported that Ng's case is related to the share dispute between GZL and another travel company, the Guangzhou Lingnan International Group.

Agencies contributed to this story