Chinese PV executives reportedly detained by police in Munich

“It has been confirmed that the person involved is only assisting in the investigation and has now returned to the hotel,” the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) said on the Chinese-language WeChat social media platform on Tuesday morning. “This time, only one person is confirmed in assisting in the investigation, not involving multiple Chinese PV companies rumored online, and there were no cases where multiple personnel assisted the investigation.”

Yicai, a financial media outlet in China, had previously quoted the German police as confirming the arrest of at least one individual upon arrival in Munich on a Lufthansa flight from Shanghai. The detained individual was then reportedly brought before a judge at the Augsburg district court, and the prosecutor’s office issued a pre-trial detention order. However, the charges were later suspended due to certain unspecified conditions, Yicai reported, citing the German police.

pv magazine has attempted to contact the German authorities, but has yet to receive a response.

“Energy Yanjiuyuan,” a WeChat user, led much of the coverage of the detainment. It was later reported by other Chinese media outlets that the detained individuals are associated with Jetion Solar (Jetion Solar), Jiangsu Runda PV (Runda Solar), and Jiangsu Green Power PV (GPPV), which are subsidiaries of China National Building Material (CNBM).

One witness – an executive of an undisclosed Chinese PV company who arrived on the same flight – told Shanghai Securities News that another Chinese PV executive, affiliated with an unnamed Chinese PV module manufacturer, had also been detained by German police at the Munich airport

Industry analysts in China said the detainments could be related to visa issues, intellectual property concerns, or past trade compliance matters. The incident has raised concerns within the Chinese PV industry, according to Chinese sources.