Zambia's ex-president interrogated over corruption …
Posted by microplus under corruption, Levy fought corruption, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Levy's Legacy, lusaka, President Chiluba
LUSAKA (AFP) — Former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba was Thursday interrogated over his role in the alleged theft of 7.8 million dollars (about 4.9 million euros) during his tenure, a top investigator said.
Chiluba, who faces fresh arrest for corruption, was interrogated for more than two hours by an elite graft-busting unit over the theft of the money paid to a Canadian firm for the supply of maize that was never delivered under his rule, Max Nkole told reporters.
Zambia contracted the Canadian firm, Carlington Sales Company, to supply maize worth 24 million dollars in 1997/98 period and made an advance payment of 7.8 million dollars but the grain was never delivered.
"He (Chiluba) was evasive during the question and answer interview," said Nkole, chairman of the Taskforce on Corruption.
Chiluba, 65, denied the allegations.
"He denied the allegations. They recorded a warning and caution statement and promised to arrest him soon," said Chiluba aide's Emmanuel Mwamba, who accompanied him to the interrogation venue.
"He therefore elected not to answer any questions prepared by the taskforce," Mwamba said, adding that it was a "constitutional right to remain silent."
"They specifically said he was involved in the theft of one million dollars out of the 7.8 million dollars allegedly stolen," Mwamba said.
Chiluba, who ruled Zambia between 1991 to 2001, is already facing several graft charges before a magistrate court. He is accused of having stolen huge sums of public funds together with his close aides and officials during his tenure.
A Zambian magistrate's court ruled last month that Chiluba should face a corruption trial in May.
Chiluba and two businessmen co-defendants are facing charges of theft of about 500,000 dollars (about 322,000 euros) in state funds.
The ex-leader has denied the charges, saying his arrest was politically motivated by his hand-picked successor President Levy Mwanawasa.
Copyright © 2008 AFP
FTJ summoned before anti-graft body …
Posted by microplus under Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), anti-drug, corruption, President Chiluba
LUSAKA (AFP) — Zambia's former president Frederick Chiluba has been summoned to appear on Thursday before a special unit investigating corruption that took place under his government, his aide said.
Chiluba received the summons at his residence in Lusaka on Tuesday, a day after he returned from South Africa where he underwent treatment for a cardiac complication, Emmanuel Mwamba told AFP.
"The call-out (summons) did not disclose the reasons. He is wanted on Thursday," Mwamba said.
Chiluba, who is already facing several graft charges before a magistrate court, is accused of having stolen huge sums of public funds together with his close aides and officials during his 10-year rule.
Chiluba ruled Zambia from 1991 to 2001 when he retired from politics after serving the constitutionally-allowed two terms of five years each.
A Zambian magistrate court ruled last month that Chiluba, 65, should face a corruption trial in May.
Chiluba and two businessmen co-defendants are facing charges of theft of about 500,000 dollars (about 322,000 euros) in state funds
Copyright © 2008 AFP. All rights reserved
Zambia Votes '11 – 2011 …Hakainde Hichilema for President ( Week)4
Posted by microplus under africa, Africa's President of Year (2007) Award, African nation, Black President, Blogroll, chiluba, First Black African, hichilema, Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, Kaunda, Kenneth Kaunda, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Levy's Successor, Levy's Legacy, lusaka, Michael Sata, mwanawasa, Nawakwi, New State House, President Chiluba, qualified Zambians, zambia, Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue, Zambian Constitution, zambian economy, zambian politics
Hakainde Hichilema (born June 4, 1962) is the President of Zambia's United Party for National Development (UPND).
He replaced Anderson Mazoka after an interparty election, organized by then functioning party president Sakwiba Sikota, which followed Mazoka's death in May 2006.
He is also President of the opposition alliance United Democratic Alliance (UDA) which comprises FDD, UPND and UNIP.
Mr. Hichilema popularly known as Sammy by his close associates is married to Mutinta Hichilema and they have three children, daughter Miyanda (12), and sons Habwela (9) and Chikonka (6).
He is a graduate of UNZA where he studied economics and business between 1981-1986 after which he went to the United Kingdom where he did his Masters in Business Administration – MBA.
His professional career includes positions such as assistant consultant at Equator Advisory Services. At Coopers & Lybrand he held various positions including that of director, corporate advisor and he also served as CEO from 1994-1998. When Coopers & Lybrand changed its name to Grant Thornton, he was named Managing Partner of the firm.
Mr. Hichilema is Chairman of the board(s) for Sun International, Greenbelt Fertilizers Ltd, Media Trust Fund, Export Development Program and sits on various boards as director including the Zambia Investment Board, Seedco Zambia, African Financial Services Limited, Zambezi Nickel or Bermuda Limited (Bermuda) and West Lake Investments (Mauritius).
He also sits on seven other boards in member capacity which include but not limited to the Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Zambia Business Forum, etc.
As a presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) he ran against incumbent president Levy Mwanawasa of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy and Patriotic Front candidate Michael Sata.
Mr. Hichilema received the endorsement of former president Kenneth Kaunda. The elections were held on September 28, 2006, and Hichilema took third place with about 25% of the vote while other estimates say he actually come in second when the final tally is scrutinized.
In this week's memo, he is being contrasted with Mr. Michael C Sata whose profile was posted against Dr. Lewanika and we don't see any sense in us reposting it.
We hope pundits will look at a veracity of issues pertaining to both qualities as well as qualification of who we should put forward as the nation's chief executive officer for the Zambian Enterprise in these perilous times.
Zambia asks mine owners to provide alternative tax rates …
Posted by microplus under africa, African nation, Blogroll, first platinum mine for the Zambia, indegenous Zambians' participation, Kaunda, Kenneth Kaunda, lusaka, LuSE, money, Oil & Gas - Zambia, politics, President Chiluba, Transparency International Zambia
LUSAKA, Feb 29 (Reuters) – Zambia has asked foreign mining companies for alternative proposals following their criticism of planned tax changes, officials said on Friday.
"As a committee, we believe the government has done its research worldwide on which they are basing their proposal," Godrey Beene, chairman of a Zambian parliamentary committee dealing with mining issues, told the state media.
"We have therefore given mining companies time to go and prepare a counter proposal which they should submit to us any time this week."
He did not indicate if the proposed rates by the government would be cut.
The head of the Chamber of Mines of Zambia, Frederick Bantubonse, said foreign miners would pay more than the stated 47 percent in effective mining taxes when the new regime comes into force from April, compared to 31.7 percent now.
The government has proposed a windfall profit tax at a minimum of 25 percent and an increase in mineral royalty to 3.0 percent from 0.6 percent.
It also plans a variable profit tax at 15 percent on taxable income above eight percent and to raise corporate tax to 30 percent from 25 percent.
Bantubonse said the mining firms had studied the proposed tax increases and found they would be higher than 47 percent and detrimental to their operations and future investments.
"(Mining) companies have scrutinized … new mining tax proposals for their own operations and in every case have found that the effective tax rate will be higher than (the) calculated 47 percent," he said in a statement.
The government had not called mining firms for a meeting to discuss the tax rates, despite numerous promises.
"To date, no such discussions or consultations have taken place. All (mining firms) with development agreements are willing to discuss and renegotiate the terms and conditions of their agreements," Bantubonse said.
Zambia's biggest copper producer is Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a unit of London-listed Vedanta Resources (VED.L: Quote, Profile, Research).
Others are Mopani Copper Mines, a venture of Swiss firm Glencore International AG [GLEN.UL], First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) and Chibuluma Mine, a unit of Metorex (MTXJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research). Australia's Equinox Minerals (EQN.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) owns Lumwana Mining Plc. (Reporting By Shapi Shacinda; editing by Michael Roddy)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Why The Chiluba Soap Opera Must Come To An End Now …
Posted by microplus under corruption, Emerging Middle Class, intellectual honesty, Levy fought corruption, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Levy's Legacy, missing funds, MMD, President Chiluba, public scrutiny, regina chiluba, zambian politics
There are several reasons we are calling for an end to Africa's Longest Presidential Trial Now A Soap Opera … but we will try and excogitate on only a few for the time being.
Going by our track record, every level-headed Zambian knows that we at the Zambian Chronicle don't support any kind of nonsense, corrupt and otherwise that is a direct derivative of the former president's behavior.
Having said the above, we believe that every sane one of us will use intellectual honesty as a guiding principle as we deliberate on the following important matter.
We also understand that the matter is currently in the courts of law, therefore our deductive and inductive analyses will be limited to matters that may not be prejudicial in nature.
As our video clip in Africa's Longest Presidential Trial Now A Soap Opera … reveals, the prosecutor seems to be taunting evidence of customized shoes and telling the world that they are very expensive.
Well, if those FTJ shoes are really expensive in the eyes of the prosecutor, then he has not seen anything really expensive yet. Our estimates are that those shoes probably cost close to $200.00 each and what is that for head of state.
We would like to believe that the Pope wears bullet-proof shoes paid for by the Vatican … image the cost!!
We are made to believe that government coffers were used to purchase small boat(s), if those boats on the video are auctioned at eBay, I guarantee you they wouldn't even fetch a couple of thousand dollars … try it if you want!
Tom Perkins's yacht for example is estimated at $150,000,000 … and yes the zeroes are right; millions of dollars and you bring a simple boat that is worth nothing as an exhibit for a former head of state.
Watch Real Yachts In Action Above Not Simple Boats As Exhibits
Even the Mercedes Benz ML 350 shown does not cost over $50,000.00 brand new while the other vehicles in the clip can be imported from Dubai with a couple of thousands of dollars each.
Give us a break, why is it that all the real estate in Europe since been recovered does not appear in the exhibits? Is it because those where in the Como part of the villas as opposed to the Colleyville side of human excellence and style?
What we see in this is nothing but the lowest level of witch hunting and an explicit desire to exaggerate matters based on a high level of poverty. Poverty that has no understanding of real wealth and tritely no essence of comparison on a global scale.
We have become a laughing stock of others who understand true wealth, the world shakes its head when it sees those small boats as exhibits and all perpetrators of this trial are seen as individuals that are self-interested in the crux of the matter.
As long as the trial continues, the perpetrators will continue to draw a salary plundering the merger resources the Zambian Enterprise has. A question then arises as to who the true plunderers are and or might become.
We would like to believe that there are several avenues of entertainment value available to the general populace and this soap opera that has lasted over seven years now is certainly not one of them.
Those who would like to continue this saga so they can keeping feeding on it or those who actually are purported to have been stolen from the enterprise to purchase thousand dollars boats, custom make shoes and import used cars …
We have said it before and we will say it again. If the man is guilty, please do us all a favor and lock him up as of yesterday. And if the man is not, end this nonsense … it certainly does not take seven years to figure that out unless of course somebody has nothing else to do should this be brought to an end.
We appeal to all the powers that be to close this chapter for the Zambian Enterprise once and for all and don't any body tell us it can't be done in the first half of this year because it can. All it requires is a phone call from somebody and or pressure from within, let alone without …
It is costing us more perpetrating this trial not only in treasure and dignity but also in terms of the opportunity cost; and that's this week's memo from us at the Zambian Chronicle … thanks a trillion.