Former Zespri employee files charges against company
A former employee of New Zealand's kiwifruit marketer Zespri who is currently incarcerated in China has filed a personal grievance claim against the company, newspaper The National Business Review reported. 
The claim has been filed under the Employment Relations Authority by Joseph Yu, who is serving a five-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of being an accessory to smuggling charges laid against Zespri's subsidiary, Zespri Management Consulting Company (ZMCC).
The newspaper said that Yu was a marketing manager at ZMCC, which was fined nearly NZ$1 million (US$780,000) after being convicted for the underdeclaration of customs duties in China between 2008 and 2010.
Yu has reportedly hired prominent employment lawyer Philip Skelton QC and Auckland-based firm Anderson Creagh Lai to represent him.
It is understood by the The National Business Review that Yu's employment was terminated in May this year - 14 months after his prison sentence began - and that the case includes serious allegations against Zespri and centers on the circumstances surrounding his incarceration.
Zespri is currently under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office, allegedly regarding duty avoidance and the use of a dual-invoicing system.
Photo: www.shutterstock.com
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