Maravi

Henry seeks to halt interpol alert

Henry seeks to halt interpol alert
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Tue 10 Apr. 2012, 13:30 CAT

HENRY Banda's decision to hire high-profile international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam gives insight into the amount of money he accumulated when his father ruled Zambia, says home affairs minister Kennedy Sakeni.

Henry, a fugitive son of former president Rupiah Banda, is wanted by Zambia's joint investigative team for suspected fraud in connection with his role in the US$257 million sale of the Zamtel to LAP Green Networks of Libya.

Although not a government official in 2008, Henry is alleged to have connived with former communications minister Dora Siliya to single-handedly hire RP Capital of Caymen Islands to value the asset liability position of Zamtel in preparation for the controversial sale in 2010.

Siliya has been taken to court for allegedly cancelling a duly-awarded tender for provision of radar services to the then Lusaka and Livingstone International Airports, a decision investigative wings say cost the country K1.9 billion.

Henry has been placed on the International Police (Interpol) red notice list as a wanted person.

Henry, currently domiciled in South Africa, has hired Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Peroff LLP to halt the Interpol alert.

"These unspecified allegations against Henry Banda are politically driven and without foundation. It is clearly not a genuine investigation," stated Amsterdam, who also represents former president Banda, in a claim to counter Zambia's pursuit for Henry.

But Sakeni said Henry was not being persecuted but "merely" being asked to come and clear his name.

Sakeni said Henry's hiring of Amsterdam told a big story of how much "foreign exchange" the former president's son had accumulated.

"People who have money, what can you do? Maybe, he has no confidence in our local lawyers? We don't know how much they are paying that lawyer," Sakeni said in an interview.

"It's up to individual level but certainly they have the money. How else can they hire an expensive lawyer of the nature if they don't have the money? It gives us a bigger story. Where have they got that wealth to hire such as an expensive lawyer? I am told the lawyer is paid millions of US dollars. I believe we have our lawyers who may be even much better than him. But that is their business, we can't go into it."

According to their official website, Amsterdam & Peroff states that it offers legal counsel to companies and individuals facing critical challenges.

Among the prominent individuals Amsterdam has represented are incarcerated Russian billionaire and politician Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky, and former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Shinawatra hired Amsterdam to serve as international lawyer and adviser to the defence counsel of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship.

Though Amsterdam could not represent Khodorkovsky in Russia as no foreigner can argue before a Russian court, and the Federation has refused to issue a visa, he still represents Khodorkovsky on the international stage.

And Sakeni described as a "welcome development" the announcement by South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane that South Africa was aware that Interpol is now active on Henry's case and that his country was ready to do its part as long as it was within the stipulated laws.

"The young man is not being persecuted. He shouldn't hide in the father's immunity just because the father was president," Sakeni said.

"If he is suspected of wrongdoing, we should not just fold our arms and just look at him like that. He is just like any other citizen. A suspect is just a suspect like any other person. He is not of special status. If the state has high suspicion that he was involved in some corruption or crimes of any kind, he should just own up and appear before the officers so that they are able to interview him and get the truth."

Sakeni advised Henry to voluntarily come back to Zambia rather than through an arrest.

"Maybe he knows too much that and he is convinced that he committed some felony of some kind and that is why he has been running away," said Sakeni.

"Some of his friends, including those who been arrested, are on bail. So, why run away? For how long is he going to run away? The world has become too small. Running away will not do. The best he can do is not even to wait for Interpol to bring him. Let him come back and clear his name. He has got many years to go in his life. Running away doesn't solve any problem and the world has become too tiny for anyone to hide. What happened to Osama Bin Laden? He eluded the world for so many years but there it was. It's not good to run away, especially if the cases you are facing are not capital offences?"

Sakeni said the allegations against Henry were mere white collar crimes.

Labels: CORRUPTION, HENRY BANDA, KENNEDY SAKENI, RP CAPITAL PARTNERS

posted by MrK @ 3:16 PM