1 Aug 2014

Chinese probe 'nothing to do with Synlait'

2:24 pm on 1 August 2014

Dairy company Synlait Milk says an investigation into allegations of corruption against the former chairman of its Chinese business partner is irrelevant to the Canterbury firm.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports Wang Zongnan, a former chairman of Bright Food whose dairy arm, Bright Dairy is Synlait's major shareholder, is alleged to have taken bribes and embezzled public funds when he was the general manager of the Shanghai Friendship Group and Lianhua Supermarket.

A Synlait spokesperson said the corruption investigation related to a period of Mr Wang's career before he was with Bright Food, and has nothing to do with Bright Dairy or Synlait.

Mr Wang resigned in late 2013 from Bright Dairy citing ill-health.

He met with Prime Minister John Key during a New Zealand trade delegation to China earlier that year.