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Local scooter maker loses licence, cries foul
Lisohaka Co., Ltd, a unit of Vinashin Motor, said on Thursday that it has completed the necessary procedures to file a suit against the state agency Viet Nam Register (VR) for withdrawing the quality certificate that allows it to sell its locally assembled Diamond Blue 125 scooters in the domestic market.
A Lisohaka representative said VR had announced the withdrawal of the certificate and asked Lisohaka to suspend assembling Diamond Blue scooters after some 200 units had been sold.
The market management agency also recalled several other Diamond Blue 125 scooters on display at Lisohaka's showroom in Ha Noi.
The action was taken after Piaggio Viet Nam and Honda Viet Nam condemned the scooter as an illegal copy at a news conference in Ha Noi on Tuesday. The two motorcycle makers affirmed that Diamond Blue and Piaggio's Vespa LX were identical in appearance and that the scooter was not equipped with a Honda engine as claimed.
Honda Viet Nam said none of its affiliates or plants anywhere in the world make the AF14E engines fitted into the Diamond Blue 125.
Lisohaka claimed the engines were sourced from Sundiro Honda Motorcycle Company in China. Vu Manh Ha, General Director of Vinashin Motor, had said early last week that his company had bought the engines from Shenzhen Aerospace Guang Yu Industries, an authorised distributor of Honda products in Southeast Asia.
VR certified on May 31 this year that the AF14E engine manufactured in 2009 and used for Diamond Blue 125 was brand-new.
Lisohaka launched Diamond Blue, priced at VND50 million (US$2,500), into the local market in September this year.
VR deputy head Do Huu Duc had told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that on 17 May 2010, Sundiro Honda Motorcycle affirmed that it had provided AF14E engines for Diamond Blue 125 scooters to Vinashin Motor.
"Based on this document and tests, we granted the certificate for the company to assemble Diamond Blue scooters with Honda AF14E engines," said Duc.
But later on September 30, the President of Sundiro Honda Motorcycle, Hiroshi Sekiguchi, wrote to VR, announcing that the Chinese company has never made or approved any motor with the name AF14E.
The Commercial Councellor at the Chinese Embassy in Ha Noi affirmed that the document signed by Sekiguchi was an official statement and that Sundiro Honda has never manufacturered Honda AF14E engines.
Duc said these were reasons behind VR's decision to recall the certificate granted to Diamond Blue 125 scooters.
A representative of Lisohaka was quoted by Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) as saying that VR's recalling of Diamond Blue 125 scooters was "irrational" because they had obtained all the necessary documents including the engine quality certificate granted by VR.
Le Hung Vong
vietnamnews
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