Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:10:50 +0000
ZCCM-IH case not adding up
Dear Editor
Your paper published a very interesting story that Government had asked ZCCM-IH to negotiate and discuss a settlement with FQM, Zambia’s largest mining company.
Then the opposition newspaper published a story quoting maverick politician Mike Mulongoti suggesting an extortion scheme. I am prepared to ignore Mulongoti who seems to have the propensity to shoot from the hip without considering facts and validity of his often misguided statements but I cannot ignore the full import of the matter.
How did ZCCM-IH start proceedings without seeking the highest possible authority in Government?
I found this very strange.
Firstly is was strange that ZCCM-IH could have started parallel proceedings in London and Lusaka without the knowledge of the Government and indeed using lawyers that were used by the former Task Force on Corruption created by Fred M’membe and Mutembo Nchito.
This is a very curious development because the company must have Government highest representation on the Board of Directors who should have participated in the decision to take FQM to court.
In my view a matter of such importance should have been brought to the attention of Cabinet because it touches on the very economic security and wellbeing of the nation at heart. This is not a matter that could have been decided by the Board alone because the consequences would have far reaching effect.
More interestingly however is the attention that the matter has received from the Mast newspaper which seems to have an inside track of information and proceedings inside the courts of law.
There is more than meets the eye in this matter and the sooner we all learn about the details the better. I am sure somewhere in the background lies the truth and Zambians will know it.
Raphael Mwila
Don’t ignore Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Board of Trustees’ plight
Dear Editor,
I am a regular reader of articles concerning the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) annual reports but I am losing interest in them as they hardly ever cover anything about convictions or forfeitures by law enforcement agencies on the cases reported.
According to the 2016 report, Zambia lost a total of K4.6 billion from suspected corruption and fraud predominantly linked to public procurement contracts, human trafficking, drug trafficking, tax evasion and money laundering.
In an apparent agreement to my displeasure, the FIC director general
Mary Tshuma complained that she was frustrated that despite disseminating the scandal to the law enforcement agencies, no convictions or forfeitures took place on the cases that were reported by the FIC. Citizens are hungry for action from the seemingly comatose law enforcement agencies (“Zambia loses billions in Corruption”, Daily Nation, June 1, 2017).
In a similar manner, the law enforcement agencies are expected by citizens to seize the offshore accounts into which nearly K400 million
Saturnia Regna Pension Trust funds were illegally transferred to Luxembourg and other European investment havens. While, British authorities were questioning ownership of Saturnia funds because of a discrepancy in ownership that fuelled suspicions of money laundering, but in sharp contrast, Zambian law enforcement agencies had seemingly gone to sleep on the matter (“Seize bank accounts”, Daily Nation, June 5, 2017).
I have talked with many law-abiding Zambians who, like myself, are beginning to lose confidence in the passive and comatose law enforcement agencies. I am convinced that a joint proactive intervention and investigation by Zambia Police, DEC and ACC would have a positive influence, particularly during this crisis period at
Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Fund. Please, Zambia Police, DEC and ACC don’t ignore Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Board of Trustees’ plight.
It is a pity that the pension-holders at Saturnia Regna Pension Trust
Fund can’t enjoy the pension savings that the company is entrusted with because of the greed of the people behind Benefits Consulting
Services Limited and African Financial Services Limited that are allegedly owned by Munakupya Hantuba, the incarcerated UPND leader
Hakainde Hichilema and Valentine Chitalu the former chief executive officer for Zambia Privatization Agency (ZPA) through their holding company Menel Management Services.
By all accounts, the illegal transfer of nearly K400 million into
offshore accounts in European investment havens without the Ministry of Finance authority and the knowledge of the Board of Trustees is an insult, if not, a crime against humanity to the 34,000 pension-holders at Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Fund who are facing a downward spiral in their financial situation.
Mubanga Luchembe,
LUSAKA
Powerful cartel at work
Dear Editor,
I am not startled that M’membe’s wife Mutinta was discharged because Zambians have not seen anything yet.
Mark my words. There are many tremors awaiting them.
Surely does it make sense that a star witness (in the Mutinta case), a police officer for that matter, must absent himself at the crucial time of the case? It does not add up.
If I was IG of police I was going to follow this poor cop to make sure that he pays for his sins. Something definitely stinks. For me, and as the rest of Zambians know, Mutinta tore that official document and there is no qualm about that. But who can cage her?
You see, like I have always warned the PF government, it should take the issue of the cartel earnestly because it is all intent to frustrate State functionaries at every corner.
I suspect it has off-loaded a lot of money from its off shore accounts which it is now using to gibe our government.
Do you think for one moment that people like Jim and his fellow South African small boy Maimane, are making noise in Zambia for nothing?
Nay, they are being paid to do what they are notorious for. It is all easy to see.
Would some individuals at certain embassies in Lusaka, turn down, say, an offer of US$50,000 to condemn the government of President Lungu even where there is no cause? Your guess is as good as mine.
For me, it is now a question of irresistible money, money, money and it has no boundaries. After all was Jesus Christ, the son of God not sold for 30 pieces of silver?
I am waiting to see what
happens to HH treason case.
But do not get me wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with our Judiciary system, it is the people manning it who are mistrusts.
For now watch the cartel and its monetary acts.
Baidon Mazembu,
Chawama, LUSAKA
Police inertia worrying
Dear Editor,
Is it possible that our police have completely failed to smoke out Fred M’Membe and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM)?
If that is the truth of the matter, then we have serious security concerns in this country.
The two fugitives, if I may call them so, could be right in this country but because of what I suspect to be sheer lack of seriousness by our law enforcing agents, these men have continued to enjoy their freedom.
I strongly feel it is time we saw some action from police. If they can fail to locate the two, how on earth are they going to deal with the issue of the Mau Mau in Southern Province which wants to annihilate the people from Eastern Province?
I am also wondering why the police cannot move in and arrest suspects in the Saturnia Pension saga. What are the police waiting for? They say a stitch in time saves nine later and my earnest appeal to the police is that they should always be on top of issues.
Similarly we have not heard anything from our famous Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) or the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on the matter.
Just what are they waiting for? Those billions stashed in off shore accounts have a serious influence on our kwacha and the economy generally.
Citizen
