(TIMES ZM) Nchito told to probe sale of Roan Mine, Lima Bank

Nchito told to probe sale of Roan Mine, Lima Bank
By Times Reporter

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has directed newly-appointed Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mutembo Nchito, to launch a wide-scale investigation into the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation of Zambia (RAMCOZ) and three other firms that were sold during the Frederick Chiluba administration.

Other firms lined up for probe are Kagem Mining Company in Kitwe, the defunct Lima Bank and Hotel InterContinental in Livingstone, which was sold to Sun International.

The directive to conduct the investigation has been prompted by what President Michael Sata yesterday described as " stinking corruption " surrounding the sale of the four companies.

Mr Sata was speaking shortly after he swore-in Mr Nchito as DPP at State House.

He told Mr Nchito, whom he elevated to State Counsel, to bring the culprits to book.

" Look at some of the old cases. The privatisation of Roan Antelope Mine, the privatisation of Kagem, the privatisation of Lima Bank and the privatisation of Hotel InterContinental in Livingstone. All those cases are stinking with corruption," the President said.

He said the team that formed the backbone of the dissolved Task Force on corruption had been brought to Government along with former chairperson, Max Nkole, who is Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"You have all been called back. Your former chairman is Permanent Secretary and I am sure that with the Attorney General (Mumba Malila) who was once harassed because they did not like him, we will leave Zambia better than we have found it," Mr Sata said.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) president, Hakainde Hichilema, said he does not have anything to fear because he never stole any money from the privatisation process.

Mr Hichilema said his firm, Grant Thornton, was merely engaged as a consultant to evaluate the assets ahead of the privatisation process and was paid money on the basis of the contract signed with the Government.

Mr Hichilema said the Government was on a mission to silence opposition political leaders, but added that he would never succumb to any form of threat.

And President Sata has also revealed that some Chinese companies operating in Zambia were still funding the former ruling party, the MMD. He asked Mr Nchito to liaise with the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for details.

" If you get in touch with the people at the Drug Enforcement Commission, they will give you the details and they will give you the names," Mr Sata said.

But MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga denied that Chinese companies were funding the former ruling party.

Mr Mabenga claimed that some senior officials in the Government were misleading the President.

And the President has urged Mr Nchito to probe foreigners associated with the purchase of Zamtel for allegedly corrupting Zambian officials to secure the deal in the previous administration.

" When you go to Zamtel, don’t look at Zambians only. These Libyans are the ones who corrupted Zambians. So don’t go for Zambians you must also go for the Libyans. They are the ones who had dirty money and dirty hands. Sort them out," demanded Mr Sata.

The President said late Republican president Levy Mwanawasa had launched a clean fight against corruption but the people who inherited the institutions that were set up abandoned the fight.

"There was once a President of the Republic of Zambia and this President trusted human beings. One of those human beings he trusted was the Attorney General whom he also made Minister of Justice. And then he went to pick somebody from a farm in Chipata. He also trusted him.

"They bashed all of you people in the Task Force and you were like orphans. Today we have the most deadly legal team, the Attorney General, Solicitor General (Musa Mwenye) and yourself. We will expect you to assist the judiciary," the President said.

The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by Vice-President, Guy Scott, Chief Justice, Ernest Sakala, Justice Minister, Sebastian Zulu, Home Affairs Minister, Kennedy Saken, Defence Minister, Geoffrey Mwamba and Mr Malila.

And former Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has advised against repossessing 75 per cent shares in Zamtel, saying the move would have a huge impact on the future of the country’s economy.

Speaking at a briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Musokotwane said the reversal of Zamtel would cost the country between US$400 million to $1 billion as compensation to Lap Green Networks.

"Given the price Lapgreen paid for the company, the extra investment they have made since then and the positive turn around in the business, the compensation demand could be anywhere between $400million to $1billion," he said.