By NATION REPORTER
A STATE witness of Turkish nationality has told the Lusaka Magistrates Court that former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji had nothing to do with negotiations for the purchase of the mission properties in her country.
42 year-old Gulce Senger, employed as an interpreter at Zambia’s Embassy in Ankara, told court that the name Joseph Malanji never appeared anywhere in the Sales Contract.
Ms Senger testified that according to an official receipt before the Lusaka Magistrate Court, a Turkish property management company, Mita, acknowledged US$6.877 million as down-payment for the purchase of 12 properties in Turkey on behalf of the Zambian government. Asked by defence Counsel Nkhula Botha to describe a document handed to her, Gulce Senger said; “it is a legal receipt for payments towards the Chancery with amounts issued by Mita, with description one of US$4m for a three storey building, description two of US$1.8 million service costs and US$1.077 million as penalty fees. The total amount came to US$6.877 million.” Ms. Senger was asked to describe before court the nature of another document.
“It is a Sale and Transfer of units of real properties. The parties approved the price of 12 units at US$19,500,000, and the seller will pay a specified amount in consideration of the real properties in question,” Ms. Senger testified. She told court that the late Ambassador Joseph Chilengi signed the purchase contract for properties in Ankara on behalf of the Zambian government on 28 December 2020.
And that, in her interactions with Ambassador Chilengi, her role was to strictly interpret and translate both spoken and written communications.
She was testifying, Tuesday, in a matter in which former foreign affairs minister Joseph Malanji and former secretary to the treasury Fredson Yamba are charged with willful failure to comply with procedure relating to procurement, and being in possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Meanwhile, another Turkish national employed as official driver for Ambassador Chilengi testified before the Lusaka Magistrates Court that he never received any instructions from Malanji during his official visit as Presidential Envoy to Turkey in December 2020.
Mr Cetin Eskiduman told court that on 29 December 2020, Ambassador Chilengi asked him to drive to the bank where he would meet a diplomat, Sam Sankenga.
And that after waiting at the bank for hours, two bags were brought to the Ambassador’s vehicle by people who were in the company of Mr Sankenga, “and I immediately drove to the Hotel where I found the Ambassador, visiting foreign affairs minister and other diplomats from the Embassy.”
“Who else was in your vehicle when going to the hotel?” Asked Defence Counsel Nkhula Botha. “I was just alone,” Mr Eskiduman replied.
“From the hotel, we went straight to the airport together with the Police, the vehicle that was given to the visiting minister. Also, the car for the lawyer was there.”
“In the entire testimony you have given to court, Hon Malanji never instructed you to take anything to the plane?” Asked Defence Counsel.
“The Minister never gave me any instruction, only the late Ambassador gave me instructions,” Mr Eskiduman stated.
And you don’t know what was in the bags? “No. We gave the bags to the crew upon arrival at the airport and left because the plane was starting off.”
“You have no idea of any conversation between Ambassador Chilengi and the crew?” Asked Defence Counsel. “No,” replied the witness.
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