Friday, March 29, 2024

The Zamtel findings were not stage-managed- Justice Minister

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Justice Minister Sebastian Zulu
Justice Minister Sebastian Zulu

JUSTICE Minister Sebastian Zulu has asked top leaders in the previous government to stop issuing negative statements about the Zamtel Commission of Inquiry findings as some of them allegedly benefited alot from the proceeds from the privatisation of the telecommunications company.

Mr Zulu has revealed that a well-known law firm owned by one of the top MMD officials allegedly benefited over K190 million from the Zamtel privatization exercise.

The minister, who described the sale of Zamtel as “fraud and economic sabotage” said at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that it was unfair that former MMD top officials who benefited were now in the forefront condemning the outcome of the inquiry without shame.

“Let these named MMD top officials declare interest in the Zamtel sale because a law firm received K190 million from Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) for unknown services.

These findings were not stage-managed, whoever is saying this is just trying to cover up something,” the minister said.And a team of experts hired by the commission of inquiry to do a thorough research on the sale of Zamtel and its assets discovered that ZDA had a suspense account in which legal fees were paid with all supporting documents.

And justice Minister Sebastian Zulu disclosed that LAP GREEN is externalising its capital following the recent inquiry into the privatisation of the telecommunication company.

And Chairperson of the technical committee constituted to inquire into the sale of Zamtel, Dimple Ranchhod says George Kunda and Company legal firm was paid 190 million kwacha during the procurement of the ZAMTEL deal.

Mrs Ranchhod says the revelation on the payment of the same funds to the legal firm was discovered at the Zambia development Agency -ZDA-

She also divulged that RP capital did not evaluate ZAMTEL assets.

The K190 million payment to the legal law firm allegedly had no supporting documents.Chairperson of the experts committee, Dimple Ranchhod, said upon questioning the ZDA chief accountant on the K190 million paid to one of the top officials in the MMD, it was discovered that the money was allegedly not paid for legal services but for unspecified services.

“ZDA failed to show the committee any documentation supporting the payment of the K190 million to a named legal firm,” Mr Ranchhod said.

[pullquote]“Let these named MMD top officials declare interest in the Zamtel sale because a law firm received K190 million from Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) for unknown services.[/pullquote]

Meanwhile, Citizens Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has said it is irresponsible for former vice-president George Kunda to claim that the findings were stage-managed when the commission of inquiry was just confirming earlier findings by the Dennis Chirwa-led rribunal.

Mr Kabanda also called for the immediate reversal of the 75 per cent sale of Zamtel to Libya’s LAP Green given the irregularities that had come to the fore.

Mr Kabanda said in Lusaka yesterday that the irregular and fraudulent manner that Zamtel was sold had already been observed by civil society organisations which petitioned the matter before the tribunal.

He said it was clear from the onset that there were some irregularities in the manner that the former government of the MMD undertook the privatisation of Zamtel.

“It is surprising that George Kunda could come out this way because the issues coming out now are not new. You will recall that the civil society organisations had taken this matter to a tribunal and a lot of irregularities were found, only that then Communications and Transport minister Dora Siliya was being shielded by the former government,” Mr Kabanda said.

[Times of Zambia]

16 COMMENTS

  1. Please produce the report. I know the post will have it soon. However, I have noticed that the ex ministers defending the sale were beneficiaries of the transaction.
    If it be true that George Kunda is implicated as a beneficiary, he needs to be arrested and prosecuted.
    Unveil the shareholders of RP Capital, obtain their bank statements and review. Obtain the bank statements of all key ministers and investigate all transactions and give us a report with flesh!

  2. Iwe chi Gagande howmuch have you got in the bank we mpumbu we! If K190 million is not enoughto you, there are millions of Zambians who can do with even a quarter of that you tool!

  3. How was Dimple Ranchhold hired? Was it by public tender or single sourcing? Madam Ranchhold, evaluating assests for purposses of setting a price does not require physical inspection of the equipment and hence even two guys from RP Capital are enough to give a value.

  4. They will never make Zulus report available becoz its ” empty and hollow” These fools do not have a slight idea how a company is valued. unbelievable !

  5. The findings of the report were pre-determined. Although the appointment of RP Capital seems to have circumvented government procurement processes, the sale process itself was done transparently through an open publicly-advertised tender process which we followed in the media until the final disposal of those shares. The commission members are scared of giving Sata a report which they think will annoy him – Zambia never changes.

    • Lapgreen failed the preliminary tender evaluation process but at the end of the day their tender was the most responsive. let us be objective. it is not about the party or tribe but objectivity.

  6. Cant we be technocrats for once. Produce the report and facts of the matter. It’s easier to make accusations than to prove them.

  7. Ati “the committee members are scared of giving our great leader a report that will annoy him” LOL!!!!! Made my day!

  8. But Zulu you have also been paid 190 million for carrying out the stage managed investigation. Both of you are laibilities to the Zambian taxpayer.

  9. # 7 ,you have no knowledge of sales,how can one buy a house if he/she does not conduct a physical inspection?physical inspection is vital because it determines the price,a dilapidated building cost less compared to a refurblished one.zamtel assets were all supposed to be physically inspected and its current values determined by the appreciation of the land.zamtel is worthy more than 3billion dollars.just wait and see.

  10. Pretty component of content. I simply stumbled upon your site and in accession capital to claim that I get in fact loved account your weblog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing for your feeds and even I success you get entry to constantly rapidly.

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