Da Vinci pleads for a second chance

A tearful but unrepentant Doris Phua yesterday begged the mainland media and consumers to give her luxury furniture chain Da Vinci - currently under investigation for allegedly selling fake imported goods - 'another chance to serve', insisting that the company had acted honourably.

Customs investigators demanded the company - with outlets in six mainland cities - show import and export certificates following allegations it passed off furniture made in Guangdong as being 'made in Italy'.

An initial investigation by the Shanghai Entry-Exit Quarantine Inspection Bureau found 11 batches of Chinese-made goods shipped by Da Vinci had been moved into bonded areas of the port then brought back into the country, China Central Television reported last night.

As the goods had gone through export procedures, they had technically been re-imported into China. It was unclear how they had been labelled when sold to consumers.

The investigation was sparked by a CCTV programme, aired on Sunday, that claimed the shop had been shipping counterfeit furniture made by Changfeng Furniture in Dongguan to Italy, then re-importing it to the mainland and stating it had been made overseas.

The scandal provoked a strong reaction from wealthy mainlanders, due to the store's popularity among those keen to flaunt their riches.

The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau conducted quality tests on products in the company's warehouses, with results due in the next few days.