Tanzanian transporter locks horns with Chinese Bus builder Yutong, Over his seized vehicles
A Tanzanian Bus Operator, Fortunatus Salmin is accusing the Chinese Coach building company, Yutong, of swindling him of the two vehicles that he had purchased from the firm.
Fortunatus, who is the Managing Director of the Dodoma-based Rockstar Bus Company, claims that he had procured on loan two Yutong buses, under agreement that after the initial down payment of USD 100,000, he would complete the remaining sum after one year.
Rock Star buses usually transport passengers between Dar-es-salaam and Bukoba via Dodoma
But, in a video clip making rounds on social media platforms in Tanzania, the Rock Star Bus company owner claims that the management of Yutong sent round a team of people to take away the two newly bought buses, saying Mr Salmin has defaulted payment.
The Rock Star man said he tried to report the matter to authorities but all state organs such as the police seem to be siding with the Chinese company.
However, in an official statement released to the public, the management of Yutong is threatening to file a lawsuit against the Rockstar director for what the company claims to be his decision to tarnish both their name and reputation.
Yutong admits having done business with a Tanzanian firm known as ‘Rochtech Engineering Company Limited,’ which trades as Rockstar and that the entity’s director, Fortunatus Salmin did purchase two buses from them but indirectly.
According to Yutong, the Tanzanian transporter procured the vehicles through the Sailing International Leasing Company of Hong Kong, which handles loans under special agreement regarding the timeframe in which Rock Star was to settle the payments.
Now as far as Yutong is concerned, Sailing International Leasing Co. Limited is actually the firm which repossessed the two buses from Rock Star after its director, Fortunatus Salmin failed to honor the agreement, as he did not repay the loans in time.
The Rock Star man however argues that the buses took long before they were cleared from the Dar-es-salaam port for him to put them into business.