Zambia gold suspects slapped with treasonable charge of espionage

By NATION REPORTER

ZAMBIAN suspects in the now infamous gold and cash scandal that has since sucked in some State House personnel have been charged with the treasonable offence of espionage by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).

Shadreck Kasanda, a businessman, Dr Jim Belemu, the chief executive officer of Mahogany Airline, Osward Diangamo and Patrick Kawanu have been charged with espionage and obtaining money by flase pretenses.

Makebi Zulu of Makebi Zulu Advocates has confirmed that Kasanda, Dr Belemu, Mr Diangamo and Mr Kawanu were the only ones who had been charged from the 11 gold and cash suspects that included five foreign nationals.

But when contacted for a comment, DEC director general Nason Banda said he was unable to comment on the matter and that he would only do so through a press conference to be held today.

Mr Zulu disclosed that the four Zambian suspects were taken to Police Force Headquarters where they were charged with the unbailable treason offence of espionage while the foreign suspects had not been charged but have instead been accommodated in some luxurious government Lodge in Kalundu.  

Mr Zulu said as lawyer representing one of the accused in the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) gold and dollar scandal Makebi were shocked that only Zambian suspects had been charged with Espionage and not the other foreigners.

Mr Zulu said there was something fishy for foreign nationals not to have been charged when their Zambian counterparts had been given two more charges.

Four of the Zambians accused in the gold gate scandal Shadreck Kasanda, Osward Diangamo, and Jim Belemu and Patrick Kawanu wereon Saturday given more   charges of espionage and obtaining money by false pretense.

But Mr Zulu said his law firm would escalate the matter because the charges did not make sense when the other co-accused had been omitted.

He said Makebi Zulu Advocates would today make an application to the court since the DEC had ignored all their concerns regarding the Zambian accused persons.

Meanwhile, some online media house has revealed that the amount of money originally found on the jet at KKIA was US$11. 6 million and not the US$5.6 million as announced by the DEC.

It has been reported that many of the officers from the law enforcement agencies had been identified and have since started returning money they had received as bribes from the gold and cash scandal

Some senior named Zambia Police Service officers stationed at the KKIA have paid back as much as US$ 50,000 with some low ranking officers taking back as less as US$3000.

Other reports are to the effect that a senior military official stationed at the KKIA has also paid back US$50,000.

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