Tue, 31 Oct 2017 09:46:50 +0000
By Mukosela Kasalwe
ZAMBIANS deserve a thorough explanation on the LapGreen contract before we pay a colossal U$380 million as instructed by the London High Court judgement, says Third Liberation Movement president Enock Tonga.
Mr Tonga said the Third Liberation Movement (3LM) was not in support of the London High Court judgement as Zambia was a sovereign State as much as it was a member of the Commonwealth and likened it to the case of late republican president Fredrick Chiluba.
He said it was unfortunate that Zambia would have to pay huge sums of money instead of using it for other development ventures and to solidify its internal economy. He urged Government not to be too quick to accept to pay default for abrogating the contract.
In an interview yesterday, the opposition leader said Zambians deserved a thorough explanation on the LapGreen saga before a huge sum of U$380 would be paid out.
“We demand a thorough explanation because we will not allow money to be externalised, as 3LM we are not in support of the move taken.
Zambians deserve to know the contents of the LapGreen contact before we can pay such a huge sum of money,” he said.
Mr Tonga said the LapGreen contract was allegedly marred in acts of corruption and left many questions unanswered.
Evangelical Youth Alliance executive director reverend Moses Lungu said the London judgement should be registered in the Zambian court.
Reverend Lungu said the current government was determined to correct the wrong economic decisions made by the MMD regime.
The clergyman said Patriotic Front had continued to show sound leadership and that it was good that Zamtel was reverted to the Zambian people.
In December last year, the Zambian government agreed to repay the US$103 million loan that Lap Green Networks obtained from China’s ZTE in 2011 for the expansion of Zamtel network.
Minister of Finance Felix Mutati last week informed Parliament about the London Judgement on Lap Green and that Zambia would be required to pay about U$380 million.
