Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:13:28 +0000
THE trickery of Fred M’membe was yesterday exposed after the police discovered 11 trucks and one trailer that were hidden at a private garage in Shimabala area instead of being surrendered to the liquidator, 30 more trucks are said to be still at large. The trucks were found at a private garage belonging to Karen Russell, branch manager of Transit Freight Coordinators Ltd. Most of the branding on the trucks was removed or otherwise tampered with. The caretaker at the garage, who at first denied entry to the team of armed police officers, was immediately heard talking on the phone with a person who was questioning him why he had allowed them to enter.
But Robert Chibinga, manager of asset recovery and operations of the Post in liquidation, said authorities have been looking for the trucks for over one month and that there were about 30 more trucks still missing. On Monday, Post Newspaper liquidator Lewis Mosho wrote the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja asking the police command to immediately impound the vehicles in Shamabala. “This is to notify you that by the High Court Order enclosed herein and dated 1st November, 2016, the High Court for Zambia placed the Post Newspaper (in liquidation) under compulsory winding up and I was appointed as provisional liquidator of the company thereof with power to inter alia take control and custody of all the assets and property of the company for purposes of winding up,” Mr Mosho said. “We have since discovered 11 trucks and trailers and one trailer all of which are concealed at a private car pack in Shimabala.
I hereby seek the indulgence of your office to impound the said trucks to secure custody as per the order of the court aforesaid.” The police moved in yesterday and impounded the vehicles but could not have them driven away from the private car park because the drivers of the trucks allegedly went away with the keys. Mr Chibinga explained that Mr M’membe had not yet availed them the catalogue of the assets for the purpose of winding up the payments to people being owed money even after sending them a request letter. He said that they would continue searching for the other properties as they believed some trucks were still missing.
Mr Chibinga said that a printout from RTSA indicated that some number plates for the missing trucks which were found in the garage belonged to the Post. And Ms Russell, who came after two hours with excuses that she did not have the keys to the main offices, allowed the police to peruse through the drivers log books whose latest parking date was October 8th. She said that “they are not my trucks, they belong to the Post. Seize them if you want”. Ms Russell added that she has nothing to do with the Post. Police officers have since been deployed to guard the trucks until they can be removed into the custody of the liquidator.
