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Probe Chiluba for money laundering – Kabimba

Probe Chiluba for money laundering – Kabimba
By George Chellah
Tue 09 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT

WYNTER Kabimba yesterday said Frederick Chiluba must be investigated for money laundering activities.

Commenting on the findings and decision of the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal over Chiluba’s UK lawyer Bimal Thaker, whose licence has been revoked because of his conduct with the former president, Kabimba - who is also a lawyer - said there was a mountain of evidence both locally and abroad that there was nobody who had associated with Chiluba and remained clean.

“The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) should take interest in the Thaker case and have Chiluba investigated for money laundering activities. You cannot have a situation where the solicitor is guilty under these circumstances and the client is clean. The judgment of the tribunal makes it very clear that Mr Thaker should have known that his client was engaged in money laundering activities,” Kabimba said.

“And this is a clear case for the DEC to pursue. As PF, we shall be surprised if DEC doesn’t rise to this challenge. Money laundering is an international offence, it’s not only governed by the domestic law of the country but it is also governed by international law.

In other words, Chiluba cannot be guilty of money laundering in London using Zambian money and money from the Zambian treasury and the man is innocent in Zambia.”
Kabimba said Chiluba was siphoning money from the Ministry of Finance and purporting to his solicitor that the money was clean when it was not.

“This is a serious matter that Chiluba’s offence against the Zambian people cannot be left to rest on account that he is getting the support of the government of the day,” Kabimba said.
He said Thaker, as a professional, is a victim like all professionals who worked with Chiluba in Zambia and whose careers have today been ruined.

“And for some of them at a very tender age because the man did not engage himself in clean transactions as head of state. It’s a pity that the professionals he used were not able to say ‘no’ to his unlawful instructions. This is a lesson for all the professionals that it is important to remain professional in the way we do things even as public officers to those in authority,” Kabimba said. “From the Thaker story and what has so far been exposed in Zambia about Chiluba’s deeds, financial and otherwise, it is very difficult to associate or work with Chiluba and remain a clean person or maintain your integrity as an individual because the manner of Chiluba’s doing things is devoid of any integrity or consideration for others.”

Kabimba said the tribunal findings were very relevant to the support that President Rupiah Banda is rendering to Chiluba.

“I will not be surprised myself if RB and those around him like George Kunda and Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha would not find themselves in a similar situation like Bimal Thaker after they have left office,” he said.

Recently, Thaker's practicing licence was revoked because of his conduct with Chiluba, which has been described as 'spectacularly stupid'.

This is according to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal findings and decision dated July 15, 2010, filed with the Law Society in the UK.

The allegations which have since been proven and action taken, were that Thaker did abuse his integrity through dealings involving the payments of monies belonging to the Zambian treasury to Chiluba and his children, former Zambia Security Intelligence Services director general Xavier Chungu’s children, Ireen Kabwe - wife of former Access Financial Services Limited’s Faustin Kabwe - among other transactions.

Thaker met Chiluba in London and had been asked by him for a cash payment of 30,000 pounds.
It was further observed that Thaker’s involvement in the payments “had clearly not been in any way connected with any legal work but had been consistent with the provision of banking facilities in transactions that bore the hallmarks of money laundering.”

David Barton, who was acting on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, was the applicant and Bimal Bhupendra Thaker of Cave Malik was the respondent in the matter.

Labels: CORRUPTION, FREDERICK CHILUBA, MONEY LAUNDERING, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 7:35 AM