Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:32:56 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
LAKE Petroleum is demanding US$15 million from the Daily Nation following a series of articles exposing an oil import scam in which the oil firm used forged papers to import oil into the country.
The illegal imports and forgery was confirmed by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) who proceeded to impound the oil company’s tankers as well as sanctioning Lake Petroleum, for an illegal and criminal act that is not in dispute.
The oil company has however threatened to sue the newspaper and demanded a retraction and an additional US$ 15,000,000 in damages.
However, ZRA has maintained that only 12 trucks belonging to Lake Petroleum were impounded for smuggling fuel into the country contrary to the provisions of Sections 141 and 149 of the Customs and Excise Act, CAP 322 of the Laws of Zambia.
But Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ) secretary general Benson Tembo maintained that Zambians wanted to know what investigations ZRA carried out, which individuals participated in the forgery and economic sabotage and what action had been taken.
And PTAZ has advised ZRA to tell the nation what its findings were and how many people had been arrested for economic sabotage and forgery.
In a letter to the Daily Nation dated June 14, 2017, by J&M Chambers, Lake Petroleum claims the publication was malicious, false, and slanderous and that it was made with reckless disregard to the damage it could cause to the name, business and goodwill of the company.
“Our instructions are to demand, as we now do, the publication by your newspaper, on the front page, an appropriately worded and unambiguous apology and retraction of the said article and payment of US$10,000,000 as reparations for the damage already caused to our client by your slanderous article.
“Should you fail to do this within seven days form the date of this letter or to propose a reasonable settlement, we are under strict instructions to issue originating process in the High Court of Judicature for Zambia to sue for damages for slander in the sum of US$10,000,000, punitive damages of US$ 5,000,000 for the deliberate nature of your actions and legal costs,” reads the letter in part.
ZRA commissioner general Kingsley Chanda said in the light of the severity of the offence committed by Lake Petroleum, a penalty of 100 percent of the total taxes and duties was levied on the fuel while the 12 tankers were subsequently forfeited to the State in line with the provisions of Section 162 and 159 of the Customs and Excise Act, CAP 322 of the Laws of Zambia respectively.
