(CNN) France targets Total CEO as company reaches settlement in U.S. over Iran bribes
By James O'Toole @jtotoole May 29, 2013: 4:33 PM ET
Total is the latest high-profile company to be ensnared in a foreign bribery case.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
French energy giant Total has agreed to pay nearly $400 million to U.S. authorities after acknowledging that it paid massive bribes to secure drilling rights in Iran, and the company's chief executive may face a criminal trial in France as well.
Total (TOT) will pay $245 million to the Justice Department as part of a deferred-prosecution agreement, and $153 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case was developed in cooperation with French authorities, who have requested that Total CEO and chairman Christophe de Margerie and two other individuals "be referred to the Criminal Court for violations of French law, including France's foreign bribery law," the DOJ said.
A statement from France's prosecutor of the republic identified those two individuals as Bijan Dadfar and Abbas Yazdi.
Total CFO Patrick de La Chevardière said in a statement that the company "look[s] forward to continuing our work and... demonstrating our strong commitment to ensuring ethical and legal compliance with laws around the world."
Total acknowledged that the allegations from the Department of Justice are "true and accurate," according to the deferred-prosecution agreement, but said it "reaffirms that it has not committed any offense under applicable French law."
"In the event of a trial, Total and its chief executive for the Middle East at the time will argue that the behavior that they are accused of was completely legal under French law," Total said in a statement to French news agency AFP.
De Margerie formerly served as president of Total's Middle East operations.
Related: Ralph Lauren admits bribery at Argentina subsidiary
The Justice Department said Total paid $60 million in bribes to a government official in Iran between 1995 and 2004 in an effort to secure oil and gas development rights in the country. Total funneled the money to the official via "consulting agreements" with intermediaries.
"Total mischaracterized the unlawful payments as 'business development expenses' when they were, in fact, bribes designed to corruptly influence a foreign official," the DOJ said.
Total reaped more than $150 million in profits as a result of the bribes, according to the SEC.
The charges in the U.S. case will be dismissed after three years provided Total adheres to terms of the deferred-prosecution agreement, including the implementation of an enhanced compliance program and the appointment of an independent monitor.
U.S. officials have stepped up enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in recent years.
Germany's Siemens paid $800 million to the DOJ and SEC as part of a global bribery case in 2008. Halliburton and KBR paid $579 million in 2009 in connection with bribery allegations in Nigeria, while the United Kingdom's B.A.E. paid $400 million to the DOJ in 2010 after being accused of making false statements about its anti-corruption efforts to U.S. authorities.
CNN's Carol Cratty contributed reporting from Washington. To top of page
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, OIL, TOTAL
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UK firm faces charges of bribing Zambian and other African presidents
By Moses Kuwema
Sun 12 May 2013, 14:00 CAT
A UK-based natural resources company, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), has been accused of bribing African presidents, including Zambia in 2010, where the firm is alleged to have made cash payments related to its acquisition of a copper smelter.
According to a story by the UK's Independent Newspaper, documentary evidence had shown that ENRC made payments to African presidents amounting to US$35 million of misappropriated cash and document destruction.
According to the newspaper, the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into alleged corruption at the miner Eurasian Natural Resources would scrutinise allegations including "payments to African presidents", $35m of "misappropriated" cash and "document destruction".
ENRC has however, denied the claims that were made in a leaked letter from the law firm Dechert to ENRC after the firm had been dismissed from leading an internal inquiry.
Last week, the SFO began a criminal investigation into "allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption relating to the activities of the company or its subsidiaries in Kazakhstan and Africa".
This followed the sacking of Dechert by ENRC and the resignation of the mining group's chairman, Mehmet Dalman. The SFO is expected to compel Dechert to hand over documents from its ENRC inquiry.
In the letter, dated 12 April, Dechert's investigation into ENRC's purchase of a copper mine in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 allegedly found "evidence that documents had been falsified and that $35m £23m had been misappropriated.
Dechert also allegedly discovered "documentary evidence regarding the making of cash payments to African presidents" related to its acquisition of a copper smelter in Zambia.
An ENRC spokesman said it is "committed to a full and transparent investigation of its procedures and conduct.
An SFO investigation is being undertaken and therefore ENRC is unable to comment on ongoing investigations.
ENRC is a UK-listed, Kazakhstan-focused, multinational leading diversified natural resources company headquartered in London. It has activities in integrated mining, processing, energy, logistics and marketing. ENRC was formed in 1994.
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, ENRC
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Zille’s web of lies
Brad Cibane
Posted on: February 6, 2013
Transparency and accountability are vital pillars of democracy. Without transparency there cannot be accountability and without accountability transparency is redundant. Our Constitution recognises and entrenches principles of transparency and accountability in government. Section 41(1) (c) provides that “spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent government for the Republic as a whole”.
But it seems South African politics are on an evolutionary trajectory from a practice of spin-doctoring the truth, to a culture of blatant and incessant lying without consequence. Blatant dishonesty by public representatives has become a methodical practice. While the practice long became synonymous with the ruling party, it appears the opposition’s roof is leaking heavily too.
The Democratic Alliance, as the official opposition party, is indispensable to building a strong democracy. The question then is: What happens when the opposition becomes caught up in the same web of blatant lies and deceit? Consider the following chain of events:
[1] On 05.03.2011 — The Sunday Times published a story alleging that the influential Gupta brothers often “bragged” about giving money to both the opposition and the ruling party. The brothers allegedly donated to a number of parties including the Democratic Alliance. According to the report the DA refused to answer to the allegations, stating that it was against the party’s policy to disclose the identity of party donors.
[2] On 27.01.2013 — The Weekend Argus ran a front-page story saying the DA allegedly ”took money from the Guptas”. The report stated that DA leader Helen Zille had allegedly gone into the Gupta compound and emerged with a substantial cheque.
[3] On 29.01.2013 — Zille responded to the allegations in her weekly newsletter. She said the DA had received a donation from Stefan Nel, an executive at one of the Gupta companies. Although she admitted to being invited to receive the cheque at the Gupta household in Saxonwold, she said it “was a personal cheque from his personal bank account. It did NOT come from a Gupta company, nor from the Guptas, but it was handed over at their home … the DA subsequently thanked the donor … and, because we had been guests at the Gupta’s home, our fundraising department included our standard letter of thanks to the Guptas, even though the donation had not come from them”. Zille makes no mention of an electronic transfer.
[4] On the same day (29.01.2013) — The New Age, in response to Zille, reported that the alleged donor, Nel, had denied making donations in his personal capacity. According to the report, a donation receipt issued in his name was subsequently corrected. The report included photocopies of a letter addressed to Atul Gupta (“Managing Director, Sahara Computer (Pty) Ltd”) and a receipt for R300 000.
[5] On the 30.01.2013 — The Independent Online reported that Zille had shed more light on the donation. According to the report, Zille — addressing to reporters at parliament — did not deny the letter but said “she was under the impression the cheque came from Sahara and not Nel in his personal capacity”. (Very different from the above.)
[6] On 02.02.2013 — DA chief executive Jonathan Moakes released a statement apparently to clarify the facts about the donations. According to the statement the DA had been assured by the supposed donor (Nel) that the donations were indeed in his personal capacity. The statement says “click here for the correspondence” but there is no link! It includes a link to scans of two cheques drawn by a Mr SJD Nel. Moakes concludes that “[t]he bottom line is: the DA has received donations from Stefan Nel, an executive at Sahara computers, in his personal capacity”. (Now, go back to number 5)
[7] On the 3.02.2013 — Zille tweeted something totally different (see some tweets captured here). She said that she did receive a donation from Sahara, allegedly intended by the Guptas as a bribe. She said she had accepted the money but was “not bribable”. In her own words, she said: (a) “I asked for a donation. Not as a bribe. I received it as a donation and treated it as such. What is so hard to understand?” (b) “In 2009 there was no reason not to ask for a donation from Sahara computers. The Gupta controversies arose in 2010” and (c) “ … we did nothing wrong in accepting the money as a donation. The Guptas’ intentions are irrelevant. We were not bribed.” (For your satisfaction, I have uploaded some of the tweets here.)
For me there are inconsistencies so glaring they are insulting to any comprehending person: (i) Why did Zille go to the Gupta compound and what was discussed? (ii) If there were two cheques from Nel, why did the DA address the receipt for R300 000 to Sahara for the attention of “Mr Atul Gupta”? (iii) On her Twitter page Zille admits to accepting money allegedly intended as a bribe. What money is she referring to?
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (SOUTH AFRICA), HELLEN ZILLE, NEOLIBERALISM
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Mzembi says refused US$100k RioZim bribe
04/02/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
TOURISM Minister Walter Mzembi, accused by RioZim Limited of trying to seize the firm’s gold mine in Masvingo, has in turn claimed the company offered him a US$100,000 bribe in a bid to buy his silence in an on-going labour dispute with its workers.
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed group is involved in a labour dispute with workers at its Renco Gold Mine in Masvingo but has accused Mzembi, who is MP for the area, of trying to use the stand-off to seize control of the lucrative mine.
In a statement, RioZim said Mzembi had tried to impose Zanu PF’s Chivi South legislator Irvine Dzingirai as general manager at the mine in an attempted takeover of the company under the guise of the country’s indigenisation laws.
"Minister Mzembi arrived at the mine... He called a public meeting and announced that RioZim had not complied with the indigenisation obligations of the country and hence they were taking over Renco," the company said.
The company also accused Mzembi of using threats and intimidation to bar RioZim directors and management from the mine while denying them access to the company's gold bullion.
But the minister denied the allegations insisting: "That's political slander. I'm surprised by their statement, which seeks to politicise what is a dispute between them and their workers.
"I have no interest in the mine's shareholders except to say they must comply with the laws of this country. I have never taken an ounce of gold from Renco, nor do I intend to, but my people are crying for justice."
And on Tuesday the Masvingo South MP claimed RioZim tried to buy his silence with a US$100,000 bribe, a claim immediately rejected by the firm.
Counter accusations
“They tried to buy me out of this case, with a US$100 000 brown envelope which I turned down, preferring to advance community and worker issues which they have blatantly violated over the past 40 years,” Mzembi told the Herald newspaper.
“I am not that cheap neither is my constituency worth so little, after four decades of gross neglect and abuse. They must try someone else.
“I will not be bought with filthy lucre to sell an entire constituency’s aspirations and dreams about development which they clearly see being implemented more responsibly by other corporates like Zimplats and Unki in areas where they are operating.”
The claim was dismissed by RioZim chief executive Ashton Ndlovu, who said: “I do not know where the minister is getting that (bribery allegations) from.
“Any money spent by the company is accounted for because we are public listed company. All the money we give out is not given to individuals.”
Mzembi said he would continue to press for better working conditions for the mine’s workers.
“This is a classic case of trying to prevent me from exercising my legitimate role of interceding on behalf of the community in their dispute with RioZim shareholders,” he charged.
“I will not dignify corporate political slander on my person, neither will I be intimidated by litigation from exercising my representative role as Member of Parliament.
“I have no intention of owning a mine, my plate is already full, with my calling to represent the people, but if they expect me to turn a blind eye to exploitation of our people, then they have got it wrong.”
Renco - formed in 2004 when Rio Tinto Plc sold off most of its Zimbabwe assets - produced 11 000 ounces of gold in the first half of 2012, when it resumed operations after shutting down at the height of Zimbabwe's hyperinflation crisis in 2008.
RioZim owns Empress Nickel Refinery, 50% of Sengwa Colliery, several exploration claims and a 22% stake in Murowa Diamonds.
The company was saddled with $50m of debt and on the verge of collapse in 2012 but was saved when New York-based private equity fund Global Emerging Markets took a 25% stake.
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, RIOZIM, WALTER MZEMBI
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ACC interviews Daily Mail chief-sub editor over attempted bribing of journalists
By Staff Reporters
Sun 20 Jan. 2013, 10:30 CAT
ACC officers have interviewed Zambia Daily Mail chief sub-editor Chapadongo Lungu in connection with the attempted bribing of journalists by a Lusaka-based private investigator who has since been arrested.
On Friday last week, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) officers arrested Mathews Fube together with two journalists, Dean Mwaanga and Billy Kazoka whom he attempted to bribe so that they could publish false and malicious stories about Armcor chief executive officer Gary Wadey and ZRA issues.
Mwaanga, a former Zambia Daily Mail employee was released the same day; Kazoka last week, while Fube is still in police custody.
ACC sources told The Post that Lungu was interviewed to explain what he knew about the matter.
"He was interviewed early this week to explain anything that he knew about this matter. We expect to interview many more journalists on this matter," said the sources.
But when asked if he had been interviewed by law enforcement officers in connection with the case, Lungu responded: "Not to my knowledge. I don't know anything," he said.
Last week, ACC sources said Fube was sent by a named businessman of Indian origin to frame Wadey.
"Mr Fube was sent by this businessman to look for journalists to corruptly publish false stories concerning Mr Wadey and ZRA, which stories could have put Mr Wadey in bad light. Apparently, it is not known how much Mr Fube was paid by this same businessman," the sources said.
The sources said money and some documents were confiscated in the operation.
"Mr Fube's movements were being monitored by law enforcement agencies and he was arrested together with two journalists at Arcades as he was giving one of them a KR50.00 which he claimed was for transport. These people were arrested on Friday evening and they were immediately taken to Emmasdale police station. Mr Fube is claiming that he is a private investigator and that one of his contacts gave him a story about Mr Wadey."
Labels: ACC, BRIBERY, CHAPADONGO LUNGU, DAILY MAIL, JOURNALISM
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COMMENT - I would really like to know which corporation bribed the MMD minister, because of they were US or Canadian, they would be criminally liable under the FCPA and the Canadian version of that law.
Former mines minister arrested for facilitating issuance of the mining license
Posted by Editor on March 29, 2012
Former mines minister has been arrested and charged with two counts of corruption and being in possession of property believed to be proceeds of crime.
Mr Mwale is alleged to have received about K473 million from a foreign mining company as reward for him to facilitate the issuance of the mining license.He has also been charged with being in possession of property allegedly believed to have been proceeds of crime. Mr. Mwale is alleged to have brought in 5,000 bicycles suspected to be proceeds of crime valued at about K I.5 billion.
Mr. Mwale who will appear in court on 4th April has since been released on a K50 million police bond with 2 working sureties.
Spokesperson for the Joint Investigative wings Charity Munganga-Chanda has confirmed the development to QFM News.
Parliament passed the 2012 Anti Corruption Commission Bill which has also seen the abuse of authority of office clause reinstated./QFM
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, MAXWELL MWALE, MINING, MMD
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World Bank blacklists 2 companies over bribes
By Kabanda Chulu
Fri 02 Mar. 2012, 11:00 CAT
THE World Bank has blacklisted and fined two subsidiaries of a French engineering company,
Alstom SA, after
the companies allegedly offered bribes to gain a power rehabilitation plant contract in Zambia in 2002.The Alstom subsidiaries, Alstom Hydro France and Alstom Network Schweiz AG in Switzerland, will pay US$9.5 million (K50.1 billion) in restitution and be blocked from bidding on World Bank contracts for up to three years.
The sanctions are tied to an alleged bribe of 110,000 euros (K781 million), which the World Bank stated that Alstom paid to an entity controlled by a former senior government official for consultancy services for a World Bank-financed power-rehabilitation project in Zambia in 2002.
In a press statement themed ‘Enforcing accountability', World Bank vice-president for integrity Leonard McCarthy stated that the sanctions were a significant step in deterring the risks of fraud and corruption.
"This case demonstrates a clear commitment from the World Bank to ensure development funds reach their intended beneficiaries while setting a high standard for global integrity where project resources may be at stake," McCarthy stated.
"Alstom's settlement with the Bank is a wake-up call to global companies that are involved in development business that need to ensure their operations with the World Bank are clean. Alstom is a major player in the hydropower sector and their commitment under this agreement is a significant step in deterring the risks of fraud and corruption."
In 2002, Alstom made an improper payment of K781million (110,000 euros) to an entity controlled by a former senior government official for consultancy services in relation to the World Bank-financed Zambia Power Rehabilitation Project.
The number of companies on the World Bank's blacklist has increased sharply from 2008, when it banned just one company from bidding on its contracts.
Last year, 92 companies or individuals were put on the blacklist, which is published on the bank's website.
Two years ago, the World Bank signed agreements with other institutions including the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank agreeing to jointly blacklist any company that one of the banks finds guilty of graft or collusion.
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, World Bank
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BBC to issue global apology for documentaries that broke rules
Independent revealed programmes were made by third-party in pay of governments and firms
Ian Burrell
Ian Burrell is Assistant Editor and Media Editor of The Independent.
Saturday 11 February 2012
The BBC will today apologise to an estimated 74 million people around the world for a news fixing scandal, exposed by The Independent, in which it broadcast documentaries made by a London TV company that was earning millions of pounds from PR clients which it featured in its programming.
BBC World News viewers from Kuala Lumpur to Khartoum and Bangkok to Buenos Aires will watch the remarkable broadcast, available in 295 million homes, 1.7 million hotel rooms, 81 cruise ships, 46 airlines and on 35 mobile phone platforms, at four different times, staged in order to reach audiences in different time zones. The BBC will apologise for breaking "rules aimed at protecting our editorial integrity".
The Independent exposed last year in an investigation into the global television news industry how the BBC paid nominal fees of as little as £1 for programmes made by FBC Media (UK), whose PR client list included foreign governments and multinational companies. The company made eight pieces for the BBC about Malaysia while failing to declare it was paid £17m by the Malaysian government for "global strategic communications". The programmes included positive coverage of Malaysia's controversial palm oil industry.
The BBC also used FBC to make a documentary about the spring uprising in Egypt without knowing the firm was paid to do PR work for the regime of former dictator Hosni Mubarak.
The BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee carried out an investigation into BBC World News which reported in November it had uncovered 15 breaches of editorial guidelines. Eight of the breaches were in respect of FBC programmes made about Malaysia. The trust also identified other breaches of rules on sponsorship in programmes shown by BBC World News, which is a commercial entity and carries advertising. In its apology, the BBC will say: "A small number of programmes broadcast on BBC World News between February 2009 and July 2011 broke BBC rules aimed at protecting our editorial integrity. These rules ensure that programmes are free, and are seen to be free, from commercial or other outside pressures."
Making a direct reference to the FBC documentaries, it will say: "In the case of eight other programmes, all of which featured Malaysia, we found that the production company which made the programmes appeared to have a financial relationship with the Malaysian government. This meant there was a potential conflict of interest, though the BBC was not aware of it when the programmes were broadcast."
It concludes: "Editorial integrity is the highest priority for BBC World News, which is why we apologise for these breaches of our normal standards."
The Independent has revealed FBC, which was run by the former Financial Times journalist Alan Friedman and the CNN presenter John Defterios, was also making editorial programmes that featured FBC clients for the global business broadcaster CNBC, which suspended its FBC-made show World Business. Other FBC clients included the governments of Greece and Kazakhstan and companies like Microsoft. FBC also tried to suggest in its promotional literature it had "cultivated" key opinion formers, such as economist Jeffrey Sachs, as "ambassadors". Sachs totally rejected the claim.
When The Independent published its investigations into FBC the firm said it had kept strict divisions between its editorial and PR operations. FBC closed its London offices and went into administration in October. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom is investigating FBC.
Bad practice: The stories
Hosni Mubarak
As Egypt was in the throes of a revolution, the BBC commissioned FBC to make a documentary on the country. But the firm had a commercial relationship to promote Egypt as "liberal and open". The programme, Third Eye: Egypt, warned of the threat of takeover by Islamic fundamentalists.
Mark Thompson
The BBC director general has ordered an end to the practice of acquiring news programmes for "low or nominal cost" after the BBC admitted 15 breaches of its editorial guidelines and buying documentaries for "nominal" fees as little as £1 from a company that was working to promote foreign governments.
Malaysia
Since 2009 FBC has made at least four BBC documentaries dealing with Malaysia and controversial issues such as the country's palm-oil industry and its treatment of rainforests and indigenous people. The company has received millions of pounds in payments from the government of Malaysia for a "global strategic communications campaign".
Labels: BBC, BRIBERY, DOCUMENTARY
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Government should reinstate abuse of office clause - Libongani
By Bright Mukwasa
Thu 16 Feb. 2012, 12:01 CAT
THE government should reinstate the abolished section 37 of the Anti Corruption Commission Act, says newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani.
Libongani who was represented before the committee on legal affairs by deputy commissioner of police criminal investigations department Byemba Musole, said the argument for the removal of section 37 was that the penal code already provided for the offence but it must be noted that in terms of penalty, the abolished section provided stiffer punishment and was broad because it provided for the prosecution of beneficiaries whether directly or indirectly.
"In the Penal Code, if gain was not proved, the offence of abuse of authority was treated as a misdemeanor. But if gain was proved then it was treated as a felony. However, section 37 treated the offence of abuse of authority as a felony whether the public officer directly gained or not," Libongani said.
She is the first female Inspector General of Police who was appointed this week taking over from Dr Martin Malama who has been deployed in the foreign service.
She said the section was also broad in the manner it categorised circumstances under which a public officer would be charged with possession of unexplained property.
And Libongani said the provisions of the Procurement Act No.12 of 2008 were not water tight to deter corruption because the process was too long.
Libongani said because the approval was centralised, the delays in approving tenders may lead to public officers being bribed to facilitate the quicker processing of tenders.
"It would be prudent if Zambia Public Procurement Authority decentralised its operations to provinces. Ministries sometimes have their allocations returned to the Treasury because they could not get tender authority to expend their funds, "she said.
Libongani said if the Zambia Police was focused fully on fighting corruption, it would create duplicity and possible conflicts with the Anti Corruption Commission.
She said corruption was a complex crime and called on the government to establish an institution that would train officers in investigating the vice.
Libongani also called on the government to improve and harmonise conditions of service for the police to match those of other investigative agencies.
Labels: ACC, BRIBERY, INSPECTOR GENERAL
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Liang should serve as a bribery lesson to all
By The Post
Sat 04 Feb. 2012, 13:00 CAT
IN a country where there is a feeling that it is normal practice to bribe government officials, the conduct of Rebecca Mulyengwa cannot be taken for granted.
Rebecca, an officer of the Anti Corruption Commission, refused to take a bribe of K50 million from Liang Ge, the proprietor of Top Motors, whose company supplied controversial hearses to the government.
Liang wanted Rebecca to destroy evidence against Top Motors in an Anti Corruption Commission investigation file. Why? It's not difficult to guess why, but we leave that for the courts to determine.
Those who bribe government officials should be severely punished if corruption is to stop.
And the observations or remarks made by Principal Resident Magistrate Aridah Chulu in sentencing Liang deserve special attention. Magistrate Chulu sees bribery of government officers as a very serious offence. And she pledged that the court had to play a role to ensure that would-be bribers are deterred and that it was the duty of the court to give appropriate punishment to those who attempt to or bribe public officers.
This is the way things should be. This is the approach our people are expecting from their courts. And this is within the requirements of the law. All our institutions have to commit themselves to fighting corruption wherever and whenever it manifests itself.
And our courts of law are very important in this fight. It is said that the struggle against corruption is one of the greatest struggles of our time. And this being the case, everyone, every institution has to take part, has to make a contribution in this fight. Our laws condemn corruption. And corruption is condemned by all our religions, all our churches and all ethical codes.
Everything possible should be done to win this fight, to contain corruption. This is so because corruption hinders all development, slows all progress, impedes all advancement. It strikes hardest at the poor and vulnerable, siphoning scarce resources away from those most in need.
It advances the selfish interests of a dishonest few over the interests of the great many who work hard and who obey the law. Corruption also undermines governance in our country because it erodes public trust in government and private institutions alike; it breeds contempt for the rule of law. It also undermines confidence in the fairness of free and open markets. Corruption is, simply put, a scourge on civil society.
And yet it seems to be flourishing in our country today. There are so many public officials who betray the trust of the people they were sworn to serve. And this is why we say Rebecca's example is not something that should be taken for granted.
Each and every one of us should be alarmed by acts like the one of Liang which magistrate Chulu has rightly punished.
And sometimes when we talk about corruption, we seem to only be talking about public officers. We seem to be forgetting that the private sector is equally corrupt and is the one that pays bribes to public officials. Therefore, those who pay bribes should even be punished more than those who receive bribes.
We must ensure that our asset forfeiture laws are efficiently and effectively enforced against those who pay and those who receive bribes. But as we have seen in the cases of Frederick Chiluba and his tandem of thieves, this requires dedication, politically and otherwise. It also requires the dedication and expertise of investigators and prosecutors.
We cannot continue to have this situation where the poor continue to pay more, largely as a result of petty bribery demands. This judgment of magistrate Chulu should be a clarion call to all of us to join the fight against corruption. We must act. We must work together to ensure that the corrupt do not retain the illicit proceeds of their corruption.
There is no gentle way to say it: when kleptocrats steal from their people, loot their nation's treasury, they condemn our children to starvation, ignorance and disease. In the face of this manifest injustice, it will be a crime for anyone to turn a blind eye to corruption, to defend corruption and the corrupt.
And there may be need to re-look at our Constitution and ensure that the immunities given to public officers or officials are only used for legitimate public interest or common good and not for stealing public resources. We must end official impunity with regard to corruption. The only thing keeping Rupiah Banda from being jailed for corruption today is presidential immunity. This immunity has become impunity. This cannot stand for too long.
Swift and effective prosecution of corrupt elements, regardless of what positions they occupied in society, must be at the core of our broader effort to end corruption. We must prosecute corrupt public officials and those who bribe or corrupt them from the private sector.
We have no more solemn duty as citizens of this country than to protect the integrity of our government institutions by vindicating the rights of those harmed by the greed and dishonesty of a corrupt few. We should ensure that corrupt elected officials and appointed officials, as well as private citizens who illegally seek unfair advantage by bribing public officials, are arrested and prosecuted.
And key to such efforts will be the dedication of our law enforcement officers in the police, the Anti Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission and indeed our prosecutors. They will have to perform their duties with independence, objectivity and fairness - without regard to one's political affiliation, status, wealth or position.
If they do their work well, our institutions will become stronger, our markets will become fairer and our people will be better off. We must all strive for this. We must all help our law enforcement agencies in this vital cause to vigorously enforce our laws that prohibit corruption.
We must work together to support all those who are actively engaged in this fight and expose all efforts to undermine the effectiveness of our anti-corruption initiatives. Together, we can make a difference. In this great struggle, we must not falter or compromise. Too many children's lives, too many of our people's hopes, too many futures depend upon the fulfilment of our collective commitment to fighting corruption.
We must not turn away from what is truly a defining issue of our time. This is not Michael Sata's crusade. It is a people's struggle - Michael is simply a leader, a commander or even a soldier in this struggle.
Let us all join Rebecca and magistrate Chulu in dedicating ourselves to eradicating the plague of corruption from our country. Our people demand, and deserve, nothing less.
As for Liang and Top Motors, they should never again be allowed to do business with government. They should never again be given a government contract or tender.
Labels: ACC, BRIBERY, LIANG GE
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One in two Zimbabweans has bribed police: report
23/11/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ONE in two Zimbabweans has paid a bribe to a police officer in the last 12 months, a shock new report claims. A staggering 36 percent of people who have dealt with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) say they have also paid bribes, according to the survey of six Southern African countries published by Transparency International this week.
On a perception scale of one to five, where one means “not at all corrupt” and five means “extremely corrupt”, Zimbabweans gave the police a four; politicians, civil servants and the judiciary a three while journalists, NGOs and churches got a two.
Of the 1,000 Zimbabweans surveyed, 42 percent said they paid bribes to “speed things up”, 30 percent to “avoid a problem with authorities” and 28 percent “to receive a service they are entitled to”.
The survey of more than 6,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe between 2010 and 2011 also found that across the region, 62 percent of people believe corruption has become worse in the past three years.
The survey shows that the DRC is the most corrupt in the region, topping the bribery scale in all but one of the nine key service providers analysed. The DRC (22 percent) only comes second best to Mozambique (35 percent) in medical services corruption.
Chantal Uwimana, Transparency International’s Regional Director said: “Governments must wake up to the fact that people will not tolerate corruption anymore and start reforming weak institutions, particularly the police.
“People have a right to feel that they are protected by the police and not harassed.”
The ‘Daily Lives and Corruption, Public Opinion in Southern Africa’ makes for grim reading, but there is also some good news: 80 percent of those interviewed said they were prepared to get involved in the fight against corruption and three-quarters said ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
The Bribes Index By Service and Country
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION
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Branson denies Mugabe money offer
14/10/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
BRITISH billionaire Sir Richard Branson has denied putting together a US$10 million fund to buy President Robert Mugabe out of power. The Daily News on Sunday claimed the money was part of Branson’s 2007 plan to persuade Mugabe to step down and "safeguard his proud legacy" with the help of Nelson Mandela and other African statesmen.
"It was never discussed,” Branson told Britain’s Independent newspaper on Friday when asked about the financial offer. “
It would have been cheap at the price, but it just happens not to be true.”
Leaked United States embassy cables from Pretoria reveal how Branson made contact with former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, who was to advise Branson’s ‘Elders’ panel on how to approach Mugabe.
Moyo admitted to New Zimbabwe.com on Wednesday that he had a chance meeting with Branson at the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in April 2007, and the two men had a more than hour-long discussion on the plan to ease Mugabe out of power. Moyo was an independent MP at the time after he was kicked out of Zanu PF.
The Tsholotsho North MP said he later introduced Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono to Branson, although the latter later pulled out of the July 2007 launch of the Elders panel.
Moyo, according to the cable classified by the former US ambassador to South Africa Eric Bost, advised the elders to urge Mugabe to support a new constitution, which would include “watertight” provisions on his immunity from prosecution and allow for a truth and reconciliation process.
He says he was labelled a Mugabe loyalist and had his advice rejected after he proposed that Branson drops Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson from the panel and instead engage former African heads of state whom Mugabe respected, including Daniel Arap Moi, Kenneth Kaunda, Joaquim Chissano, Sam Nujoma, Ketumile Masire and Jerry Rawlings.
Branson, however, told the Independent that he did not remember meeting Moyo first and thought the man he met at the airport was Gono.
"I remember meeting Gideon Gono at an airport," Sir Richard said."I can't remember whether I also met Moyo then. Maybe they were together... We did later meet [Moyo], and we did put him up in Johannesburg for a few days, but we decided not to continue with him."
On Friday, Moyo said: “I am pleased that Sir Richard just about confirms everything that I have said about this initiative, except that he can’t remember whether he met me or Gono, or whether the two of us were at the airport.
“I am not sure whether that’s just a memory weakness or a cover-up. But whatever it is, it reminds me of racists in the American south who suffer from the folly that all black people look the same.”
Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson has expressed alarm that journalist-turned American informer Sydney Masamvu, whose name is listed in dozens of cables with instructions to “strictly protect”, was able to get hold of his emails exchanged with Moyo which were used as the source of Ambassador Bost’s cable.
The Independent said the Virgin boss was “troubled” by the interception of his emails by Masamvu, who has gained access to many government officials in the SADC region while wearing his other hat of researcher and political analyst for US-sponsored NGOs in South Africa.
“Obviously, they must be listening in, or doing something. I have no idea how they got them. I've no idea how it happened," he said.
Labels: BRIBERY, JONATHAN MOYO, NEOCOLONIALISM, RICHARD BRANSON, ROBERT MUGABE
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Chieftainess Nkomeshya
By The Post
Sun 04 Sep. 2011, 13:00 CAT
SOME of our chiefs, our traditional rulers, have sold out to colonialists, to corrupt and tyrannical regimes, been hired by colonialists and corrupt politicians, or surrendered themselves to evil regimes, but chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II has served notice on them that she is not for hire, that she will never hire herself out, sell out.
It is extremely pleasing to see chieftainess Nkomeshya take that position when many of our chiefs have hired themselves out, have sold themselves out to corrupt politicians abusing their offices and public resources. How many chiefs have we seen or read about endorsing Rupiah Banda's presidential candidature against the wishes of the great majority of our people?
Take for instance our chiefs in Southern Province - with the outstanding exception of the great Bright Nalubamba, the senior chief of the Illa people of Namwala and a few others, who have always stood on the side of their people, defending their people's interest and dignity who - have been on the side of Rupiah when their people are on the other.
The great majority of their people have voted for someone else other than Rupiah. Who are these chiefs representing? Who are they speaking for? Who do they listen to? We even have chiefs in other areas of our country who have looked the other way when their subjects are being slaughtered by a reckless and extremely intolerant regime. Again, who do these chiefs represent?
Chieftainess Nkomeshya has set an example of what our people should expect from their chiefs. There was an attempt to corrupt her with gifts of money. She refused and told them to go away.
This is not a small feat in a country where money has started to mean everything, where people in power boast that everyone has a price.
Today, chieftainess Nkomeshya is an example of what we would like our chiefs to be. She is teaching us a sense of perspective and priority as we struggle to change what we can change and accept what could not be changed.
Chieftainess Nkomeshya is also teaching us the importance of incorruptibility as part of the essence of self respect. While appreciating the opportunities to enjoy a good life, she is showing us the need to refuse to use our positions to get ourselves anything that isn't our due.
And her self confidence, her sense of strength and identity is something we should all cherish.
Our Constitution gives recognition to the institution of chiefs. The position chieftainess Nkomeshya occupies is a constitutionally recognised one. Of course Article 129 of our Constitution stops a chief from joining or participating in partisan politics.
But this does not take away a chief's right to participate in the shaping of the destiny of her or his people without fear of reprisal. Chieftainess Nkomeshya has legitimately complained about the lack of development in her chiefdom.
This is not partisan politics. She has every right to meaningfully participate in raising the living standards of her people. Otherwise, what type of a parent, a mother would she be - one who doesn't care about the welfare of her children?
Chieftainess Nkomeshya has taught us what leadership means. She has clearly shown us that obligations to her people, to her subjects take precedence over loyalty to a politician, whatever position he may hold or whatever resources he may control.
We all saw how this position earned her the hatred, anger of Rupiah and his league. She was denounced in all sorts of ways. She was even accused of lying about lack of development in her chiefdom because there was lots of it taken there by Rupiah.
They tried in all sorts of ways to denounce and humiliate her. For what? The only conclusion we can draw from all these attacks against chieftainess Nkomeshya is that her genuine goodness, her independence of thought and action, is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum.
This is not the type of chiefs these people like. The type of chiefs they like are those they bribe with money, automobiles and all sorts of other gifts to endorse them and urge their people to vote for them.
Those who support them, no matter how much they engage in active politics in their support, are not seen to be partisan. For a chief to support Rupiah is not partisan but for a chief to support any other politician is partisan.
But it shouldn't be forgotten that the institution of chief is there to serve the common good of the community. The common good is the reason for the existence of chiefs.
And the common good cause upon chiefs to contribute and commit themselves responsibly to building a peaceful and just society for all and when a system ceases to promote the common good, chiefs must not hesitate to denounce it and repudiate it. They must also be prepared to support and work with another system that is more just, fair and humane.
This is not a violation of the Constitution. It would actually be irresponsible for chiefs to look the other way when their people have serious challenges. It would be irresponsible for chiefs to fail to give correct guidance on what should be done, on which way to go when there are challenges.
We say this because our chiefs have both the right and the duty to participate fully in building a just, fair, humane and peaceful society with all the means at their disposal. A traditional authority is not fully rooted among its people if it does not try to establish justice.
We think this should serve as a lesson to Rupiah and all our politicians that not all our chiefs are for hire, for abuse, for corrupting. And that public servant, Ernest Mupwaya, the managing director of Zesco, should be ashamed of his role in all this.
Why has he accepted or hired himself out to do political work for Rupiah; to try and bribe chieftainess Nkomeshya and make her support Rupiah? With Mupwaya's behaviour, it is not difficult to understand why Zesco and its resources are being abused by the ruling MMD in its election campaigns.
There is need to stand up for what is right even if this may cost us our positions, our jobs. Let us not forget that there are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living (Proverbs 30:14).
Let us also not forget that we all have a biblical duty to "speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9).
Labels: BRIBERY, CHIEFS, CHIEFTIANESS NKOMESHYA, EDITH NAWAKWI, MMD
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Nkomeshya's sentiments a tip of the iceberg, says Nawakwi
By Bright Mukwasa
Sun 04 Sep. 2011, 14:30 CAT
SENIOR chieftainess Nkomeshya refusal to meet President Rupiah Banda ahead of his rally in Chongwe is just a tip of the ice-berg he will have to face, says FDD leader Edith Nawakwi.
Nawakwi, who is Forum for Democracy and Development and the only female presidential candidate, said President Banda's 'mouthpieces' had alienated him from crucial partners in development like the Soli traditional leader going by the way she had been abused.
"I think that the sentiments of her Royal Highness chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II are just a tip of the iceberg. The President is lucky because he can even get to know the position of honest leaders like chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II. There are others who are just keeping quiet and bruising inside them and wondering what became of this country," Nawakwi said.
"There are others who have completely been abused not by the head of state himself but by some of his followers such as William Banda and the likes."
She observed that it appeared that the President did not even come forward to stop his agents who had continued to abuse a lot of people.
"It's not just chieftainess Nkomeshya, it's a lot of people, the Catholic Church, the opposition leaders. A lot of people have been abused at the hands of MMD supporters and followers."
Nawakwi urged President Banda to control his sympathisers and ‘mouthpieces' to stop insulting the traditional leadership in the country.
"You cannot as a leader of a political party allow your followers to be insulting and abusing colleagues and perceived enemies just for the sake of those followers to be seen to be next to you. These are some of the difficulties the President is faced with because in the quest of trying to make MMD popular, those that are tasked with the responsibility of campaigning for the President have stepped on a lot of people's toes," said Nawakwi.
And Nawakwi has hailed described as exemplary leadership chieftainess Nkomenshya's stance not to entertain any gifts from the government and its agents.
"I mean the laws are very clear, no gift, so why is the President taking gifts to the chiefs? She's being a true patriot and a true Zambian and giving an example of what you can be as a leader, incorruptible, straightforward and she's right," she said.
"We have been told that chiefs should not involve themselves in politics and this is why we need women in leadership because they will follow the law. She's just obeying the law that chiefs should not be involved in politics. It appears it's good when the chiefs are on the side of the government. When you have a chief like chief Nalubamba on the other side, the government says these chiefs must be sorted out. The institution of chieftaincy has been diluted and it will take another government to uplift that institution."
Nawakwi said in the quest to amass political power and appear to be a popular candidate President Banda and the MMD had demeaned, diluted and made the institution of chieftaincy irrelevant to the future of the country.
She condemned MMD's electoral bribery.
"There should be no gifts because MMD by the virtue of their incumbency are giving sealed gifts in envelopes, in boxes, in whatever form, even in chitenges. You find a village has 300 bicycles, gifts to headmen, all headmen each of them has a bicycle or two that's wrong. A bicycle will not bring us development," said Nawakwi.
The Soli traditional leader, senior chieftainess Nkomeshya, refused to meet President Banda yesterday before the MMD rally in Chongwe, saying she had been unfairly denounced and her name brought into ridicule by both the government and MMD agents for merely asking for development in her chiefdom.
During her meeting with President Banda's special assistant for political affairs Dr Francis Chigunta, an MMD emissary, Zesco Limited's managing director Ernest Mupwaya, and her headmen on Friday, chieftainess Nkomeshya said she had taken great exception to the ridicule she had been subjected to by the government and its agents.
"I want to be frank, I have been always very frank, very frank and I will be with you and take the message that my Royal Highness has found it difficult for this courtesy call. What are we going to talk about when I am arrogant, I am stubborn?'' asked chieftainess Nkomeshya.
Labels: BRIBERY, CHIEFTIANESS NKOMESHYA, EDITH NAWAKWI, MMD
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Magande accuses NMP deserters of being bribed
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:59 CAT
NG'ANDU Magande says of the 50 people that expressed interest to contest parliamentary elections on his party, about 30 fell victim to bribery and corruption from big parties and backed out at the last minute.
In an interview, Magande, who is National Movement for Progress party president, expressed concern at what he termed the unfortunate trend of money exchanging hands that had characterised the campaigns.
"I want to tell you, we got 20 members of parliament but even among those 20 members of parliament when they tell you these horrid stories of some of these chaps going to their houses at night with K100 million, don't file your nomination tomorrow we have K100 million in the car.
Some came, two days before the nominations, to just say sorry I am not standing, why, no reason. Perhaps those fell to all these corrupt practices of people buying everybody around. We shall definitely end up with a very complicated Parliament. It's really too corrupt a system and hope the Zambians are going to wake up," Magande said.
He said many fell into the trap.
Magande said there was just too much corruption and bribery going around and that was why inflation was going up and that the kwacha was depreciating.
"People are just pouring money and they don't know what to do with it, really it is a very unfortunate situation where our country finds itself in that, we are being led in a direction where morals are so low and they are every day being eroded by the leadership. Even the campaigns the way we are seeing all these chitenges being given around, you wonder whether there is even any budgeting anywhere.
Somehow people have found this spring of money which just comes out and they don't know what to do with it, but definitely this is not the kind of campaign one would want to see in the 21 century," Magande said.
And Magande has expressed concern at President Rupiah Banda and Vice-President George Kunda's continued abuse of public resources.
"You cannot have the President and his vice going round and rotating going to the same places using very costly means of getting there. It has never been done before and I don't know if the Zambians are happy about that, that our resources now instead of completing schools or the roads, some of them are being left half way, window level and so on and somebody is gallivanting the whole country.
Even putting pictures of the President around, I mean who does not know him? If I was president, even for two three days, I would be able to visit so many compounds in Lusaka, people would not need to have a picture stuck on the wall, what impression are you getting?" Magande wondered.
And commenting on the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC)'s concerns that political parties had not adopted enough women candidates, Magande said his party invited the womenfolk to apply for adoption but that they never did.
Labels: BRIBERY, MMD, NG'ANDU MAGANDE
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ACC's lies over UPG shock Lubinda
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 26 Aug. 2011, 10:20 CAT
GIVEN Lubinda yesterday said he is shocked that the ACC has continued to mislead the public that there is no investigation concerning any supplier of the ECZ.
Reacting to a statement by ACC chairperson justice Timothy Kabalata that the Commission was not investigating the ECZ or any of its suppliers because he and Post editor Fred M'membe had refused to avail the Commission with any information on the matter, Lubinda said it was not good to see that justice Kabalata had been misled by ACC director general Godfrey Kayukwa.
"I have provided information publicly and challenged Lt Col Kayukwa to deny that he doesn't know about it," Lubinda said.
"I have provided details of a bribery account number 0140034477502 held at Stanbic Zambia Limited which was used to pay bribes to some officers of the ECZ.
Why is Lt Col Kayukwa ignoring this fact? I have also publicly explained how the corruption, bribery and money laundering was operationalised by UPG, the company engaged by the ECZ to print ballot papers for next month's elections."
Lubinda said when he held a press briefing last Saturday, he explained that UPG appeared to request some targeted officers of the ECZ to set up dummy companies.
"These dummy companies which appear not to be connected to ECZ or any of its officers are then requested to give dubious invoices to companies created and controlled by UPG in tax havens.
This is the information I provided on Saturday," Lubinda said. "I further said that ‘in one of the cases that illustrate this, a senior officers of the ECZ, together with other colleagues, set up a microfinance company here in Zambia called Venturefin'.
This has been confirmed by ex-Venturefin employees. Venturefin later issued a dubious invoice for a colossal US $90,000 to a UPG-connected company called Aeron Limited of Mauritius for fictitious services. Aeron then paid Venturefin and this money was received in Stanbic Bank account number 0140034477502 and enjoyed by an official of the ECZ."
Lubinda said he did not end just by providing this information but further stated that Lt Col Kayukwa knew these facts because whistle-blowers had already given the ACC this information and confirmed with him.
"And some of these whistle-blowers have been interviewed by the ACC and repeated the same facts to the Commission," Lubinda said. "Why is Lt Col Kayukwa not responding to these direct and very specific challenges? That is why I am shocked to hear that they are not investigating UPG and are even trying to blame me.
I have made this information available to the public and Lt Col Kayukwa has not said I have lied because he cannot say that while sitting with the information that he has on this matter."
Labels: ACC, BRIBERY, ECZ, GIVEN LUBINDA, VOTERIGGING
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COMMENT - More propaganda from the BBC - and in an election year too. It were shenanigans like these that got them kicked out of Zimbabwe in the first place. The old BBC had much higher standards of proof and what was reported as fact. But then, this has been going on for a decade now. I completely agree that this is about influencing the Kimberley Process. Zimbabwe has 20% of the world's known diamond deposits, but has to work with a global diamond market that is 90% controlled by Anglo-American De Beers (source: The Diamond Empire). Another fact the BBC leaves out.
BBC panorama: Battle for Zimbabwe’s diamonds
Posted by By Munoda Mararike at 10 August, at 01 : 23 AM Print
I SAT in this sofa last night and watched the much-advertised BBC Panorama Programme on Zimbabwe’s diamond industry called “Mugabe’s Blood Diamonds”. I did not want to be guided by my intrinsic bias, but I thought it appropriate to key in salient points for further debate.
I have reproduced these in point form and would welcome healthy ideas based on critical thinking, meaningful debates and opinions on paramount matters that affect our country.
Content and Context
1. The documentary is not collaborated by the state – there is no input from the state, military and police. Why did the BBC refuse interview that was granted by the Minister of Mines? Why did they not approach the army and the Police, or put them of record as having declined to be interviewed? Why did they not approach the President’s Office? Better still, approach the Prime Minister’s Office on the probity of a functional coalition Government in respect of Zimbabwe’s diamonds?
2. Judging from the responses of the interviewees, those ‘interviewed’ were probably bribed in some other ways or given money. Does one get an impression that the BBC takes advantage of political and socio-economic conditions prevailing in the country to advance a cause that is purpose driven here? How permissible is it to extract information this way? Surely all respondents cannot just be narrating the same themes? People are diverse and ideas are not packed as homogeneous blocks articulating same causes. What is the agenda here?
3. About the dead civilians that are catalogued – there is no evidence that the dead died from army gunshot wounds! Where is the evidence of the ‘dead’ apart from showing pictures of an overgrown graveyard exaggerated as a ‘mass grave’? If this was a well orchestrated Panorama interview, then of course, common sense is that there must be people to support the storyline. There is no co-relation between the dead and those names that were scribbled on an unofficial piece of paper. It would have been credible to show the name(s) of the deceased then collaborate with the hospital authorities (mortuary); and proceed to support the storyline by interviewing the relatives of the dead persons. That is evidence-based than speculative.
Research Methods
4. I am also curious that the documentary was originated from Mozambique – why? The BBC is now allowed and actually based in Zimbabwe at the moment – where, of late they appear to be sitting on their laurels or busy clandestinely doctoring records to justify ‘human rights abuses’? What is the point of totally freezing out the Ministry of Information out of the debate to which they are affiliated? Where is the balance? It was not necessary for the BBC to go to Chiadzwa through Mozambique, unless there was a justified cause. Why would one go through Angola to make a report in Namibia? I get the impression of over-exaggerating security concerns for purposes of imprinting a sense of brutality and intolerance of Zimbabwe as a country?
5. Showing the world a graveyard does not necessarily mean that those buried in it are ‘victims’ of police brutality. They may well have died of other natural causes including AIDS. Again, the aspect of connectivity or a correlation comes to the fore. Why does the BBC blatantly seek to mislead the world in a highly calculated strategy of dirty politics? On another note, showing the world of existence of the so called ‘records of death’ does not mean that they become credible enough for political consumption. Some of the information was stolen from hospitals and re-typed to produce evidence for The Hague. How reliable is such evidence?
Doggy Dossiers
The British press is known for ‘doggy dossiers’; ‘technical inaccuracies’ of figures facts and statistics and ‘sexing up’ documentaries and ‘doctoring’ of documents!
We hear tirades of how the press is manipulated by politicians especially at British Prime Minister’s Questions.
The BBC itself is part of the hugely corrupt web of ‘freedom of press’ candelabrum, where journalists, newspaper owners and reporters bribe the Metropolitan Police to avert prosecution for libelous and criminal reporting!
As I write this note, Scotland Yard bosses resigned over the News of the World phone hacking scandals where the police are alleged to have taken bribes to absolve journalists from prosecution.
It is a sickening world.
6. Why do civilians continue to occupy fields demarcated as ‘protected’ where they remain illegal occupants? Different reasons apply. By way of examples, some may still wonder about what happened to the demonstrators in UK’s Sell fields a few years back? How about at Stanstead Airport? How about at the third runway at Heathrow? How did the military police handle them? Why did the police use button sticks and ammunition on its people in Bradford? Why are the police using high-handed brutal means including live shootings in Tottenham, Enfield, Walthamstow, East Ham, Brixton and Croydon – to name just a few places?
Indeed these are riots triggered by the racist shooting of an innocent black man!
As I write this article, what is happening in Tottenham, a satellite borough of a first world capital, London is worse than what took place in Marange!
Common knowledge is that if an area is designated ‘protected’ by the state, then trespassers will meet the full wrath of the law including imprisonment! Chiyadzwa is protected, and efforts to relocate people are underway. Many of the people who were ‘displaced’ have since been successfully relocated. The area is a lot calmer now and ‘jambanja’ is a thing of the past. Why is this not being accurately reported by the BBC?
The Hague
7. I hear the BBC reporter mentioning ‘The Hague’. What for? Former Liberian president, Charles Taylor’s ghost of imperialist machinations is being reincarnated? We now hear of The Hague and see the desperation of the UK’s quest for greater influence in the management of Zimbabwe’s own diamonds – a new-found wealth! Taylor was ‘punished’ for being an obstruction to the wanton looting of resources in Liberia mainly by imperialist countries, including Britain. Inasmuch as Gaddafi has to pay heavily for the oil and the bombing of the Pan American Jumbo that fell over Lockerbie! Mugabe must fall on their sword for ‘human rights abuses’ including the land question – i.e. land reform programme that saw even the royal family’s land in Zimbabwe being redistributed to landless peasants! This is ‘works in progress’ so to speak.
8. The fact that Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Constantine Chiwenga went to Chiadzwa does not necessarily mean that he was stage-managing processes of repression as insinuated in the programme. For God’s sake someone must use their reasoning capacity. Why does the BBC now love to mention Chiwenga and Air Force chief, Perence Shiri’s names? Again, a case of building a fortress in their ‘New Zimbabwe’ agenda is well pronounced! To connect this argument: former opposition party of Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC-T is calling for the reforms of Zimbabwe’s security services by citing specific names as ‘problematic’. It cannot be a mere coincidence that the same names are also being touted in BBC’s Panorama Programme!
Atrocities in Iraq
On the other hand, we have lost count of the number of times the British PMs or USA Presidents have been to Iraq. It would be mischievous for one to speculate that they go to Iraq to motivate their soldiers to kill innocent civilians for oil or yet alone label the oil as ‘bloody’! On a related note, we are yet to see a Panorama document fully detailing atrocities being perpetuated in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan Northern Ireland and Libya to name a few countries. We saw one about Guantanamo Bay, but to date, no one in authority has repeated putrid statements about it. As a footnote to the foregoing, human rights become a relative term, a lexicon that is applied subjectively and discreetly for power and expedience. We need to watch the use of extreme language and diction dominating this programme.
The reporter used the term ‘serious human rights abuses’ as an emotive term designed to conjure up images of brutality.
She went on to say that ‘our cameras could not stay there long’. Again this denotes situational fear which is often appended to dictatorship and the military junta.
The true reason why cameras had to be moved from a non-existing image was that there was literally nothing to focus on!
But the impact of speculative journalism through the use of diction is used reinforce psychological fear and pressure in calculating the notion of a military state.
Thus, to portray President Mugabe as a dictator is the selling point of regime change or collective international action because ‘Plan A’ of sanctions has failed.
Whose Benefit?
9. Statements that the diamond revenue is not benefitting the ordinary people appear to be insipid and dry! Do we have to, as a country, open our financial books and budget statements to the West for inspection? How we use our financial resources as a country in entirely our own story. Of course they will inspect Botswana books and draft that country’s national budget as they please, but I do not think Zimbabwe is prepared for that. There are so many projects that have now been initiated from diamond sales proceeds.
It is up to the government to disclose the nature of the projects but really, the government is not obliged. After the coalition government was put in place, Zimbabwe’s promised AID never materialised. Zimbabwe has recovered using a combination of robust fiscal measures and macro-economic policies despite some questionable packages and strategies by the finance ministry. We are using the proceeds from diamonds to kick-start and stabilize the economy in different ways. It is only the UK which is too keen and wary of tracking minute events of Zimbabwe’s recovery process. We are not going to ask the reasons for this.
10. A point of correction is the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (Kimberley Process, or KP) is not in turmoil as suggested. The BBC report is designed to influence the Kimberly Process in terms of making decisions on the resumption of the sale of diamonds. The pressure on the KP is being exerted selectively, privately and publicly at different wavelengths. We saw this drama unfolding as the Panorama is now a tool designed to tip the scales in favour of British interests. This is live drama which the world is now well used to.
What happened on the eve of the election of FIFA’s Blatter? People saw the build up and desperate attempts to persuade voting members into making decisions which Britain really wanted? What happened to the over-drummed corruption case of FIFA? They say that the UK is a scarecrow that relies on its very powerful media and press for world domination. This is very true.
Alternative Markets
11. Britain is at liberty to boycott Zimbabwean diamonds. We have alternative markets. Britain is jealous that it has been isolated by Zimbabwe for too long a time when the world has moved on. It is only unfortunate for our beloved former colony that diamonds were discovered when it was almost irrelevant but significant to our political dispensation. There are contradictions and inherent in capitalist global economies: For example, I hear certain quarters of the MDC alluding to the fact that diamonds must benefit locals. But on the other hand, Britain is against this because they are arrogant, full of rapacity and greed – they want to benefit exclusively from what they think is a ‘loot’ of the day! Britain supports the MDC-T.
Master’s Hymn Book
However, MDC is singing a different song that is not even found in their Master’s hymn book. MDC ‘concurs’ with Zanu–PF by parroting that there is ‘no reverse to land reform’; but Britain wants the whole project cancelled and are prepared to ‘fund for proper land reform’. Thus, it becomes an anathema if British interests are totally marginalized, and therefore, a project is not good enough! The British culture of pursuing protracted agenda under the banner of the Empire is what keeps them on the pedestal of dominance and patronage! Truly liberated Zimbabwean compatriots find this approach rather archaic and deprecating!
12. Concoctions about who is personally benefiting from Diamonds are downright insidious and malicious. It is like perpetuating a storyline that the grand mansion that sprawl over literally the whole mountain in Highlands for Prime Minister Tsvangirai is being built from the proceeds of diamonds! It is equally unqualified to speculate that even MDC-T MPs’s pick-up trucks are a product of Marange? Hei! There is no evidence that President Robert Mugabe is personally benefitting from the diamonds – the British are paranoid and afraid of Mugabe! Inzwai, Bona is not going to school using Marange diamonds!
Social research methods call for enquiries that are based on scientific and ethical methods of extracting information through evidence-based practice. Paying inducements to ‘interviewees’ to release certain information is all but a good way of distorting findings. The halo effect is possible! Whatever the situation, the BBC must hang their heads in shame for producing such a one-sided, ill-researched, half-backed documentary for the world to see!
*Munoda Mararike can be contacted via munoda.mararike09@my.northampton.ac.uk
Labels: BBC, BRIBERY, CHIADZWA, CONSTANTINE CHIWENGA, DIAMONDS, MARANGE DIAMOND FIELDS, PERENCE SHIRI, PROPAGANDA
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Chitala calls on Zambians to start impounding govt vehicles being abused
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 20 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIANS should start impounding government vehicles which are being abused by Rupiah Banda’s ministers for MMD campaigns, says Dr Mbita Chitala. Commenting on the ministers’ campaigns sanctioned by President Banda using public resources, Dr Chitala said President Banda was the main culprit in the abuse of funds because he was deliberately delaying to announce the election date in order to allow his ministers to abuse state resources.
He said citizens, including himself, should become more action-oriented by impounding vehicles that were being abused with impunity.
“In my view, citizens can use the principle of citizens arrest and impound all the GRZ vehicles when they see them being abused by politicians. This is legitimate because the abuse is not only unlawful but it greatly undermines the level playing field,” Dr Chitala said.
He said labour minister Austin Liato and information deputy minister Angela Cifire were recently spotted distributing MMD chitenge materials in Chipata using government vehicles, while education minister Dora Siliya is using a GRZ 869 CE registered vehicle in her campaigns on the Copperbelt. MMD parliamentary candidate in Mongu, Dr Mwilola Imakando, is also using a government vehicle believed to be from the Ministry of Finance.
“Arrest those people and impound their vehicles and hand them to the police, just to show reasonableness. But as I said, all this is because of Mr Rupiah Banda’s stubbornness,” Dr Chitala said. “Any one citizen can do that who has legitimacy, legitimate force to take away these…. I feel we can and I can.”
Dr Chitala said President Banda and the MMD would do anything to try to win the elections, even through fraud. He said even MMD Lusaka Province chairman William Banda was on record as having said that they would use witchcraft to win elections.
“The practice of bribery, since they are very rich, you know they have extorted money from so many people all over the country and outside. The only way is to bribe people, and the first targets are chiefs who they think have the capacity to influence public opinion in their chiefdoms,” said Dr Chitala. “But this won’t work. And we are telling the chiefs ‘just eat, it’s your money. It is stolen money, and vote as your conscience pleases’.”
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, MBITA CHITALA
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Mangoma in bid to bribe service chiefs
Sunday, 17 July 2011 00:43
By Tafadzwa Chiremba
THE Minister of Energy and Power Development, Mr Elton Mangoma, attempted to raise funds from the US government and the United Kingdom to bribe Zimbabwe’s service chiefs, it has been learnt.
According to the latest reports from WikiLeaks, Mr Mangoma held a meeting with some US embassy officials at his offices in Harare, when he was still Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion some time in 2009, where the bribery issue was discussed.
The Attorney-General, Mr Johannes Tomana, has since recommended to the police that Mr Mangoma be investigated on the latest allegations.
It is claimed Mr Mangoma sought to bribe the service chiefs into early retirement under the MDC-T’s security sector reform proposals.
The AG’s Office is in possession of a detailed cable leak in which Mr Mangoma, a key advisor to Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC-T negotiator in the Global Political Agreement, is alleged to have told US government officials that the service chiefs were a “major obstacle to political progress and reform”.
[Translation: the service chiefs cannot be bribed, are nationalistic and will not go along with the neoliberal agenda, which is what the MDC wants to implement. - MrK]
Mr Mangoma could not be reached for comment yesterday. His party’s spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, was also unavailable for comment.
According to the leaks, Mr Mangoma met the US official on October 29 2009 at his then offices at the New Government Complex.
He proposed the creation of a “trust fund” from where the funds would be channelled to the heads of Zimbabwe’s armed forces, the police and the Zimbabwe Prison Service.
Part of the cable leaks read: “According to Elton Mangoma, the MDC would like the US to contribute to a trust fund to buy off securocrats and move them into retirement.”
Mr Mangoma is said to have told the US that a number of Zanu-PF insiders had “stolen and invested wisely” while the service chiefs were poor.
He also proposed to take a similar request to the United Kingdom and Germany. “Mangoma said that a primary obstacle to political progress and reform was the service chiefs,” read the cable.
“Unlike many Zanu-PF insiders who had stolen and invested wisely, these individuals had not become wealthy. They feared economic pressures as well as prosecution for their misdeeds should political change result in their being forced out of office.
“Mangoma asked for consideration of US contribution to a trust fund that could be used to negotiate the service chiefs’ retirement. He said he planned to approach the UK and Germany with the same request.”
Mr Mangoma also allegedly told the US that Zanu-PF and MDC could reach an agreement in the GPA if the service chiefs stopped “pressuring” President Mugabe from implementing the outstanding issues.
“The relative power of Mugabe vis-a-vis the service chiefs is a matter of debate. While there are hardliners, including the service chiefs, close to Mugabe, who are pressuring him not to further implement the GPA, we continue to believe he could make concessions should he choose to do so,” read the leaks.
The AG’s Office has recommended that Mr Mangoma be investigated on allegations of inducement.
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Section 30 (1) provides for the crime of inducement and reads:
“If any person induces or attempts to induce, or does any act with the intention of realising that there is a risk or possibility of inducing or causing any member of the police force of defence force to withhold his or her services, loyalty or allegiance or to commit breaches of discipline, he or she shall be guilty of causing disaffection among the police force or defence force and liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both.”
-The Sunday Mail
Labels: ARMED FORCES, BRIBERY, ELTON MANGOMA, TREASON
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COMMENT - K470,000 ($94,- at K5000/$)is nothing. The state should just pay the police proper salaries, and take it out of a road or import tax.
Bribery between cops, timber exporters worries sawmillers
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Tue 28 June 2011, 08:50 CAT
CONGOLESE timber exporters have found trading in the formal manner unnecessary due to some corrupt Zambia Police officers manning road checkpoints, says the Zambia National Association for Saw Millers.
In a statement in Kitwe, association secretary general William Bwalya said his
members had always received complaints from Congolese traders who pay bribes along the way despite having all the necessary export documentation.
“We had cited internal factors hindering the development of this sector in this paper Post before, among other issues as the urgent reformation by government of the existing Forest Act which is outdated and undesirable,” said Bwalya on Wednesday.
“However, we are citing the Zambia Police to be among the external factors that are undermining the development of the wood and forestry sector.
Following a meeting last week facilitated by the Cross-border Traders Association, Copperbelt chapter, between the timber producers, forestry, veterinary and governmental officials from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Chililabombwe, delegates from both countries recognised the need to formalise the export trade in timber between the two countries,” Bwalya said.
He said the meeting agreed that Zambia ensures that all timber destined for Congo DR and vice-versa has complete export documentations.
Bwalya said the Congolese would also be supplied with import documentations to be worked out by their government.
“The Zambia National Association for Saw Millers incognito last Saturday carried a test export with all export documentations prepared. To the dismay of the officials accompanying the consignment, Zambia Police at all strategic road blocks demanded passage fees in order to provide access to proceed with the consignment to the border. In total, Zambia Police extorted K470,000 for the consignment to reach the border at Kasumbalesa,” Bwalya said.
He said the export documentations cost K1 million which he said were not necessary as far as Zambia Police was concerned.
He said the Congolese said they would rather pay bribes to pass than procure export documentation, which he said did not serve the purpose.
“Similarly, some vehicles used by sawmillers to transport logs are not road worthy and most should be banned from our roads but instead the corrupt officers merely impound these vehicles temporarily until a bribe is paid upon which the vehicles are released,” said Bwalya.
Labels: BRIBERY, CORRUPTION, DRC, POLICE CORRUPTION, TIMBER
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