Maravi

Chiluba stole more than $58m - Chongwe

Chiluba stole more than $58m - Chongwe
By Noel Sichalwe
Sunday June 10, 2007 [04:00]

LUSAKA lawyer Rodger Chongwe yesterday said former president Frederick Chiluba stole more than US $58 million. Chongwe was commenting on the London High Court judge Peter Smith who found Chiluba liable to pay the Republic of Zambia a sum of US $58.2 million. The figure was increased from US $41 million after calculating costs involved in the matter from inception. Chongwe said there was more money taken away from Zambia during the Chiluba regime than what was decided in court.

“The US $58 million is not the correct amount that was stolen,” Chongwe said. “The money stolen should be in the region of US $1 billion. You are just looking at the tip of the iceberg. You can imagine, if rich people of Zambia like the former president can spend US $1.2 million in one shopping spree, do you think in ten years of his term he took away little amounts like what the court has decided? I believe more money was taken away and it should be returned.”

Chongwe said government had not carried out thorough investigations on how much was taken away by Chiluba and his colleagues. He said there was need to investigate the sale of copper, emeralds and other minerals.

On Thursday, during a hearing that was aimed at reconciling figures involved in the matter live from London through a video link, judge Smith accepted that Chiluba should pay US $58,293,724, Xavier Chungu US $58,112,727 and Stella Chibanda US $58,112,727.

Others were Aaron Chungu US $27,193,136, Faustin Kabwe US $53,757,867, Francis Kaunda US $100,575, Boutique Basile US $ 1,815,736 and Raphael Soriano US $29,609,582.

However, judge Smith said the figures would remain valid unless the non-participating defendants challenged them.

And Chongwe said government has been a stumbling block in the constitution-making process. He said the Zambian people and the civil society were happy with the recommendations of the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC).

Chongwe said the CRC recommendations reflected the terms of reference given by the Zambian government. He said one of the terms of reference was the adoption of the constitution through a constituent assembly.

“The people of Zambia endorsed the recommendations of the CRC,” he said. “All what was required was the creation of a constituent assembly. What the people of Zambia wanted is the implementation of the recommendation of the CRC. This implies that government should have come up with a Bill for the creation of a constituent assembly. The constituent assembly should have then debated the draft constitution and go for enactment.”

Chongwe wondered why government was trying to delay the constitution review process by involving a census and referendum for people to vote for a constituent assembly or reject it.
He said the constituent assembly cost less than conducting a census and a referendum.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=27690

Levy urges donors to invest in Zambia
By Brighton Phiri
Sunday June 10, 2007 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Mwanawasa yesterday asked the donor community to consider investing in Zambia instead of giving loans. Speaking at Lusaka International Airport on arrival from Britain where he had gone to attend the African Business Forum, President Mwanawasa disclosed that he held discussions with European businessmen and potential investors, to whom he had indicated that he was more interested in seeing foreign investors coming into the country than receiving loans.

“I mentioned to the donor community that we don’t want loans. We want them to come to Zambia and invest in our resources and development so that our people could be given abundantly the services they need,” President Mwanawasa said.

President Mwanawasa further disclosed that he emphasised the need for the donors who attended the business forum to invest in Zambia instead of giving handouts. He urged the foreign investors to invest in the country’s abundant natural resources.

President Mwanawasa said he also witnessed the signing ceremony of the partnership agreement between the British and Zambian governments, that would last for 10 years under which the British government would give Zambia 40 million pounds per annum.

“They were indeed successful meetings with businessmen and potential investors,” President Mwanawasa said. President Mwanawasa also held talks with former British minister of overseas development Baroness Lynda.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:36 AM