Maravi

Dora is damned if she doesn't avail herself today - Saki

COMMENT - The Zambian Government paid $334 million to 'retain it's 25% shares in Zamtel', and then sold the 75% for $257 million. In other words, under the MMD and Rupiah Banda, to Libya, the Zambian government paid $77 million to sell 75% of something it already owned.

Dora is damned if she doesn't avail herself today - Saki
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 09 Jan. 2012, 13:58 CAT

DORA Siliya is damned if she doesn't appear before a team of investigators today, says her lawyer Sakwiba Sikota.

In an interview yesterday, Sikota who confirmed that Dora would appear before a combined team of investigators from the Zambia Police, Anti Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission at 8:30 hours today, complained that the media had not treated his client fairly in the way they reported about her impending arrest.

Siliya, who served as communications and education minister in the Rupiah Banda administration, was supposed to have been arrested on Thursday last week by a combined team of officers from the Zambia Police, Anti Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission over her involvement in the sale of Zamtel and the supply of radar equipment to two international airports.

However, she could not turn herself in due to an illness.

Sikota complained that if Siliya did not appear before law enforcement officers today, the media would think she had faked illness.

"Her condition is still as it was. But in spite of that, seeing that even yourselves when you talk about her, you put her sickness in inverted commas and so on. If she doesn't appear, you are going to keep on saying as you've been saying in your paper," Sikota said.

"You don't seem to believe that she's ill, so in spite of that; because of the way the media is treating her she will be attending tomorrow, she will haul herself out of that…"

Asked if Siliya was not compromising her health by abandoning the doctor's advice, Sikota responded:

"She is, but then she's found herself in this position because of the fact that you the press are not sympathetic at all. So she's damned if she doesn't. If she insists on her health you are going to say ‘oh, she's feigning it!' That's why I'm saying she's damned if she doesn't. But, yes she is compromising her health, most unfortunately."

On Friday, Siliya instructed hospital staff at Fairview Medical Centre where she is admitted that no visitor should be allowed to see her without her consent and clearance.

Siliya, while serving as communications minister, single-sourced RP Capital Partners of Cayman Islands to value the assets of Zamtel before the company's 75 per cent shares were subsequently sold to Lap Green of Libya for a paltry US$ 257 million - about K1.3 trillion.

And the Zambian government paid US$334 million (about K1.7 trillion) to retain its remaining 25 per cent shares in the telecommunication company during its privatisation.

Labels: CORRUPTION, DORA SILIYA, RUPIAH BANDA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, ZAMTEL

posted by MrK @ 3:37 PM