Photo: cnsphoto

Online bookstore Dangdang.com is raising public eyebrows again after co-founder Li Guoqing stormed into the company's office in Beijing on Sunday flanked by supporters and took away company seals, while his wife Yu Yu, a co-owner in the company, was absent.

Dangdang's Vice President Kan Mintong said in an online press conference on Sunday that Li took the seals away with several bodyguards who came with him and the company reported this to the police. So far, no response has been given by the police about Li's action.

"The way he took away the seals was illegal, not to mention that he came with several bodyguards," Kan said, noting that Li's illegal activity has had no impact on Dangdang's business since Li has no management rights and left the company several years.

"All the members of the leadership group of the company support Yu, not Li," Kan said. He suggested that Li stay away from the company, the further away the better.

The company also released a statement, saying that it will not recognize any contract, agreement, or document of a contract nature that has the company's seals on it, and the stolen seals have been invalidated.

A divorce agreement between Li and Yu is ongoing and is always changing in terms of its content, Kan said at the press briefing.

Li and Yu, who are pursuing a divorce and have not separated yet, are major shareholders of the company. 

Sources said that Li aspires to set up a new board of directors, finance news platform Sanyan Finance, reported, citing a source close to the company. 

According to a statement issued by Li on Sunday, Yu will no longer serve as an executive director, legal person and general manager of Dangdang, and Li will replace her instead. 

The same statement said that since February 1, an employee termination process has been halted, and the company intended to pay a dividend of 30 percent of the net profit to its shareholders for 2019.

Li said in a video broadcast on April 22 that he had heard that more than 100 people would be laid off, including those whom he had hired, which Li deemed as inappropriate. 

Kan told the press briefing that the resolution by Li is illegal and invalid as it must be approved by two-thirds of the shareholders beforehand.

Some suspected that the downsizing of Dangdang's managerial staff might have been the trigger for Li's seizure of the seals.