Only Levy can stop me - Moses Katumbi
Only Levy can stop me - Moses KatumbiBy Webster Malido
Friday February 23, 2007 [02:00]
ONLY President Levy Mwanawasa can stop me from coming to Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo Katanga Region governor Moses Katumbi has said. And Katumbi said he was in touch with people like former president Frederick Chiluba, former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu, including some of President Mwanawasa's ministers. In an interview from his Lubumbashi residence in the DRC last Sunday, Katumbi however said he had respect for the court process over anything related to charges against him.
"I will come. I will come, I will ask the Zambian government. I don't have to ask the Task Force, it's not the Task Force leading the country," Katumbi said, when asked if he was still insisting on travelling to Zambia on official duties now that the Task Force says he still has to avail himself for questioning. When reminded that it was Vice-President Rupiah Banda who said he would be arrested if he dared enter Zambia, Katumbi said Zambia had a President. "Even if it's the Vice-President (who said he would be arrested). In Zambia, there is a President. That's why there is a President who is President Mwanawasa. If President Mwanawasa told me, 'Moses don't come, I don't come'. It's the President," Katumbi said. "The Vice-President, tomorrow Mwanawasa can nominate another Vice-President. How many vice-presidents President Mwanawasa has changed? If Mr Rupiah Banda doesn't have anything to give to the Zambian people, he just has to keep quiet."
He said it was up to the two governments to discuss his matter. "President Mwaanwasa has got a government, President Kabila has got a government. They will talk," Katumbi said. "If President Mwanawasa says 'no, I don't want you', I will follow what the President says. He is the boss of the country."
Vice-President Banda recently told Parliament that Katumbi would be arrested if he came to Zambia. This was after Katumbi had earlier disclosed that he would be leading a delegation to Zambia on official duties as governor of Katanga.
Later, the Task Force on Corruption also issued a statement to the effect that Katumbi still had to avail himself to answer some questions in order to finalise his case. But Katumbi said whatever the Task Force was saying was "rubbish" because the matter was already in court and he had a lawyer representing him in Zambia although the case had been adjourned several times. He said foreign affairs minister Mundia Sikatana was so far the only senior government leader who had exhibited responsibility over his matter. "You know somebody who's got sense is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sikatana. His speech was very good, he is responsible," Katumbi said. "A man like him is responsible. First, he is a lawyer, he knows what he is talking about. He knows, he is a lawyer, there is a problem in court." Recently, when Sikatana was asked about how the Zambian government would deal with Katumbi now that he was governor, he said: "We don't want to risk our relationship with Congo."
Katumbi said he was not afraid of answering to the accusations but that would be in court, a process he said was already in place. "I am not above the law. Why can I be above the law? Nobody is above the law. Let's follow the matter in court, let's follow the procedure," he stressed. He said he had no grudges against the Zambian government because he was aware that the problem was in court. "But I just want to say, they say, 'no, Moses is a crook'. People will know the truth. Mr Rupiah Banda says 'if he arrives in Zambia, you arrest him'. Why they are refusing me to come to Zambia (as) if I have killed somebody, if I have stolen, they have to leave me come freely," he said.
Katumbi maintained that he respected the court process but it was only the Task Force which kept adjourning his case. "...who is postponing in court? Five years, the Task Force is postponing. I've got a lawyer there because I am a person not...they don't want me to go back in Zambia. Even Rupiah Banda said. Today they are saying this, in the next morning they are saying other things. I've got my lawyers there. They go to court, postpone, postpone. For six years, postponing the matter. I don't have any problem with the government," he said.
Katumbi said he had great respect for the Zambian people.
When asked if he was still in touch with people like Chiluba or Chungu, Katumbi said: "Yes I talk to president Chiluba, I talk even to ministers of Mwanawasa. I talk to plenty people. "The time Xavier was in Europe, he was calling me. I talk also to the ministers of Mwanawasa. I was talking even to the people who are in the MMD. Up to now, and I don't understand why these people of the Task Force are making noise. I still have got respect for the Zambian people, the country where I lived for a long time. I don't have today to say that 'no, I am a superman'. No. Nobody is super."
Katumbi left Zambia in 2002 and he has been pursued by the Task Force on Corruption in connection with a series of cases involving restricted properties such as MCK dump mining trucks on the Copperbelt, Mansa Milling, Tamba Bashila, among others. Task Force on Corruption chairman Maxwell Nkole said Katumbi's cases were still in the High Court where ownership was being contested and that the Task Force had been conducting criminal investigations pertaining to Katumbi's involvement in the K53 billion maize deal part of which was diverted for his (Katumbi's) private use. "Katumbi's involvement lies in the diversion of the amount of K17.2 billion to refinance Tamba Bashila and Chani Fisheries of which he was the owner. Both Tamba Bashila and Chani Fisheries are now restricted by Gazette notice," Nkole said. "In addition, the Task Force wishes to interview Mr Katumbi in respect of the arms deal case popularly known as the B.K. Facility in which the Zambian government lost approximately US $20 million for arms supply contracts which was never honoured."
To read more about Katumbi's rise in DRC politics, including his plans to turn Katanga Province into "a small South Africa", look out for this Sunday Post.
Labels: Moses Katumbi, RUPIAH BANDA
posted by MrK @ 3:41 AM
2 Comments:
Moses Katumbi as Governor of Katanga is protected by the wealthiest and crude capitalists who for more than 40 years since the death of lumumba have plunderd Congo into oblivion whilst sitting on its oil and diamonds and leading using " preemptive actions"
(i.e the inheritants of the Eisenhower administration)
The zambian Government should stop playing games with the peace of Zambia and start taking responsibilities, the corruption cases of these chiluba allies have gone on forever because theres someone in high places whose not willing to give up certain priveleges, I agree with Moses its true hes best friends with both the Chilubas and MMD Officials who've all along just been lying to the Zambian People.
In Congo, you dont just become a Governor of Katanga the man has the financial clout which hes gained thanks to hes uncles, the Chilubas and naturally now the money being spoken about for the mine rich Katanga with no formal adminstration just oil, cobalt and diamonds being sold as they wish is trully petty.
The MMD has to work hard to change its colour, right now to me and am sure most Zambians its the symbol of the highest level of Corruption which if left unchecked will lead to terrible consequences.
By the way winning the elections in rural areas is in itself a pathognomic sign of corruption.
I think the money that is involved in this primary corruption (state and political accomodation of the stealing of the nation's resources) is huge, and should be fought internationally.
We have already seen that Levy doesn't care about the opinions of ordinary Zambians, so let's start and put pressure on his real political backers,
A lot of this is about awareness. As soon as international organisations understand where the money is going, they are bound to act.
Remember that 'donors' cannot pulically justify their money going to support corruption. Corruption and fraud are the biggest no-no in the financial world. No matter if you are the size of Enron or Worldcom, a freshfaced accountant just out of college can bring you down.
And that is what we have to see from all these money flows that are diverted, not to swiss bank accounts, but to the corporate accounts of western companies.
Right now, a staggering 600 million or 1/3 (in 2004) of the GRZ's budget come from donor money. That is where the people's real leverage is. We can make those flows dry up really quickly, if it is shown that the people of the country are being cheated out of what is theirs.
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