"Leather King", wealthy family disputes, 50 million shares of equity, "kidnapping"... These buzzwords are enough to grab people's attention. This is not a TV drama that dominates the screen, but rather a true story that happened in Wenzhou. On the morning of the day before yesterday, the administrative lawsuit filed by Wang Min, a Wenzhou businessman with his company headquarters in Guangzhou and known as the "Leather King," against the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau for illegally issuing first-generation ID cards was heard in the Pingyang County People's Court. Throughout the trial, the debate over the authenticity of the ID card was extremely intense and became the focus. "This is a battle for the truth, and also a battle for survival," said Wang Min.
Past: The Wang brothers worked together to achieve the title of "Leather King"
According to one of the parties involved, Wang Min, more than ten years ago, he founded Far East as its founder and started the Far East Leather Company. Other members of the Wang family were also clearly divided in their responsibilities; his younger brother Wang Huai was responsible for factory management, his elder sister Wang Ping handled finances, and other family members were also assigned their respective duties. A few years later, the enterprise grew rapidly: In 2001, "Far East" established the Elsa Factory; in 2004, a 14,000 square meter factory in the industrial park was built, and the family business had assets of over 100 million yuan; around 2005, Far East Leather Group became the world's largest pig leather production and sales enterprise, with a sales network covering more than 60 countries and regions globally, and Wang Min thus became a world-renowned "Leather King." When Wang Min's business was thriving, considering the future development needs of the enterprise, he moved the group's headquarters to Guangzhou. However, he still entrusted the affairs in Zhejiang to his siblings to manage.
Cause: Chairman's 50 million shares of equity were mysteriously transferred
Wang Min told reporters that starting from 2005, he implemented a new management system within the group and hired professional managers to participate in management and reform. But thereafter, the Zhejiang subsidiary did not report accounts for a long time, and the whereabouts of many large assets were unknown, which raised his vigilance.
In November 2006, Wang Min commissioned a lawyer to conduct an asset check on the five enterprises of the group in Zhejiang - Zhejiang Far East Leather Co., Ltd., Wenzhou Far East Leather Co., Ltd., Pingyang Far East Plastic Leather Industry Co., Ltd., etc. It was only after this investigation that he realized the severity of the consequences. Originally, Wang Min's 50 million shares of equity in these companies had been completely altered, and all his shares were transferred to the names of Wang Huai, Wang Chu, Wang Ping, and others.
It is reported that the total registered capital of these five occupied enterprises is over 100 million RMB, with total assets of 300 million yuan and annual import and export amounts of 1.2 billion yuan. On December 15, 2006, Wang Min reported the case to the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau under the charge that Wang Huai, Wang Chu, Wang Ping, and others were suspected of embezzlement. As a result, the police began to investigate the case. On December 21, 2006, Wang Huai and others signed the "Explanation of Major Error Events" and stated to Wang Min: "We all have shares in Zhejiang Far East, Wenzhou Far East, and Pingyang Real Estate. Unfortunately, due to bank loan pressure and your absence in resolving the issue, such erroneous arrangements were made." Thereafter, Wang Huai went to Guangzhou with their parents to apologize and repent to Wang Min. Considering that they were the closest relatives, Wang Min later withdrew the case from the public security authorities.
Escalation: Returning home for a board meeting, but being kidnapped to a psychiatric hospital
According to Wang Min's recollection, on March 10, 2007, his younger brother Wang Huai and others asked him to return to Wenzhou to attend a board meeting. That afternoon, he flew from Guangzhou to Wenzhou. His younger brother Wang Huai and others picked him up at his mother's house in Wenzhou. "As soon as I entered the room, several big men suddenly rushed out, pinned me to the ground, and tied me up, then sent me to the Wenzhou Psychiatric Hospital (also known as Min Kang Hospital) and completed the admission procedures," Wang Min said. At the time, he strongly requested that the doctor allow him to make a phone call to his wife.
On March 12 of the same year, Wang Min's wife Lin Bingzhen brought bodyguards and finally rescued him back to Guangzhou. "Since I have no mental issues, I don't need any appraisal, and if appraised, it would just fall into their trap," Wang Min said. The siblings sent him to the psychiatric hospital, undoubtedly deepening the rift between family members. Facing the reporter's interview, Wang Min said: "From the moment I was rescued, I felt that kinship is fragile in the face of money, and at that point, I was thoroughly disheartened." From then on, he decided to use legal means to protect his legitimate rights and interests.
Trial: Is the ID card used to transfer equity real or fake?
At 8:30 AM the day before yesterday, in the court of the Pingyin County People's Court, Wang Min and his proxy lawyer arrived early at the courtroom, while the legal representative of the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau sat on the defendant's bench.
Wang Min claimed that his ID card was "misappropriated" by his younger brother Wang Huai. On April 22 last year, Wang Min wanted to transfer his household registration from Pingyang to Guangzhou, but he discovered that on the Household Registration Transfer Certificate issued by the Public Security Bureau, it was clearly marked that he "had already processed the second-generation ID card," issued by the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau on April 13, 2006, and the headshot on the ID card was Wang Huai's.
At this point, Wang Min suspected that Wang Huai used the second-generation ID card to transfer the equity, and was furious about it. He then sued the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau and won the case, requesting the cancellation of the second-generation ID card issued by the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau. But Wang Huai claimed that the equity transfer used the first-generation ID card. Not long after winning the case, Wang Min soon found in a document a copy of the first-generation ID card issued by the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau on June 30, 1999, which differed from the issuance date of the ID card he held, issued on April 29, 1999. Wang Min showed two copies of the first-generation ID card to the reporter, and the reporter saw that the dates on the two copies of the first-generation ID card indeed differed. According to Wang Min's analysis, "Wang Huai and others should have used this ID card to transfer his equity." For this reason, Wang Min once again sued the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau.
In court the day before yesterday, Wang Min petitioned the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau to "legally seize and revoke the illegal issuance of the plaintiff's first-generation ID card with an issuance date of June 30, 1999, to the third party Wang Huai," and "declare invalid the illegal issuance of the plaintiff's first-generation ID card with an issuance date of June 30, 1999."
In response, the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau stated that Wang Min's lawsuit has exceeded the statute of limitations, and the Pingyang County People's Court should not accept it. Additionally, the bureau stated that Wang Min himself had used the ID card in question, implying that even if the issuance of the ID card was illegal, Wang Min himself was aware of it. Currently, the case is still under further review.
"Rich Family Dispute" Quick Read
● In the early 1990s, Wang Min ventured into business. In 1994, Wang Min went south to Guangzhou and dug up his first pot of gold.
● In 1998, Wang Min decided to distribute shares to his elder sister Wang Ping, elder brother Wang Wei (held by their mother Cai Ai Hua), third younger brother Wang Huai, and fourth younger brother Wang Chu.
● By 2004, after more than ten years of development, Far East Leather Group had become the world's largest pig leather production and sales enterprise, with a sales network covering more than 60 countries and regions worldwide.
● Starting from 2005, Wang Min hired professional managers to participate in management and reform, thereby impacting and damaging the interests of other family members.
● In November 2006, Wang Min commissioned a lawyer to conduct an asset check on the five enterprises of the group in Zhejiang, discovering that his equity in these enterprises had been completely altered, and all his shares had been transferred to the names of Wang Huai, Wang Chu, Wang Ping, and others.
● On December 15, 2006, Wang Min reported the case to the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau under the charge that Wang Huai, Wang Chu, Wang Ping, and others were suspected of embezzlement. The police thus began to investigate the case.
● On January 4, 2007, Wang Min signed a "Wang Family Shareholder Agreement" with the family shareholders, clearly stating that Wang Min's shareholding ratio in the Wang family was 30% and so on.
● On January 17, 2007, Wang Min went to the Fourth Brigade of the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau to withdraw the case.
● On March 10, 2007, when Wang Min went to Wenzhou to attend the board meeting, Wang Min's parents and siblings forcibly sent him to a psychiatric hospital for treatment, citing that Wang Min suffered from "severe depression."
● On March 12, 2007, Wang Min's wife brought bodyguards and rescued her husband. Wang Min thus broke ties with the Wang family.
● On April 22, 2009, when Wang Min transferred his household registration, he discovered that his second-generation ID card had already been processed in April 2006 using his younger brother Wang Huai's photo.
● In May 2009, Wang Min sued the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau, the Pingyang County Foreign Economic Affairs and Trade Bureau, and the Wenzhou Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce.
● On July 29, 2009, the Pingyang County People's Court determined that the specific administrative act of the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau was factually incorrect and procedurally illegal, and should be revoked.
● On March 1, 2010, the Pingyang County Court heard the case of the illegal issuance of the first-generation ID card by the Pingyang County Public Security Bureau.