Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The FIC Report is speculative and no one has been mentioned-President Lungu

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President Edgar Lungu being welcomed by Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo on his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport from Japan state visit
President Edgar Lungu being welcomed by Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo on his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport from Japan state visit

 

President Edgar Lungu has said that he will not be swayed into commenting on the latest Financial Intelligence centre Report on grounds of speculations surrounding it.

President Lungu said that while he has received and read the report, he is disappointed that there is a lot of speculation on who has been cited in the Report.

The President says as far as he is concerned no one has been mentioned in the Report and has further called on the financial intelligence Centre to report those found wanting to the enforcement agencies and the Zambia Revenue Authority for action.

The President said that if cases cited in the intelligence Report are related to corruption, money laundering, relevant institutions should take interest in probing such.

The President was speaking on arrival in Lusaka at ZAF air base.

You can download the latest FIC Report below

THE 5 TH MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORIST FINANCING TRENDS REPORT, 2018

93 COMMENTS

    • Does ECL know the duties of the executive? Poor thing! Bane, we have no leader in Zambia; we have thieves running rampant.

    • His response is what I expected.

      Now he is blaming the auditors, saying they have not mentioned names.

      This man has caused this country untold grief. Unless he is implicated, his job is to take this issue seriously.

    • JUNE 19, 2018 = June 6, 2018
      “The Head of State has noted that since the report does not mention names of suspects and claims against any individuals and body corporates, he would leave it to law enforcement agencies to investigate…
      “..President emphasizes that it is unfair for some NGOs and opposition parties to pressure him to take action on general allegations that have no names and no direct and proven cases.” IN SHORT, ECL is NOT in FAVOUR of this REPORT at all. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHERE THERE IS NO THE FAMOUS” ECL DIRECTIVE”, NOTHING HAPPENS per Zambian Standards. So this report is a drop in the oceans, and to ECL team, this is just noise. VERY SAD SITUATION.

    • It was not Lungu talking it was Jamesons whiskey in him doing the talking.

      That’s what you get for a leader who is always drunk with free beer on duty.

    • Zambia deserve serious leaders in the executive. We can’t have a president who changes laws to weaken institutions like FIC just fit his way of thinking. Why is it that President Lungu and Pf together with surrogate entities and individuals are the only ones not happy with FIC? We are fed up of this type of leadership, may God help us find good leadership for the country. Only God can help us find a true leader who will not be self serving.

  1. Useless so-called leader. Only ready to defend his cohort of corrupt despicable characters. What message is he sending? The so-called ‘relevant agencies’ will now sit back even more and as usual no action will be taken.

    • There goes this id!ot, I rest my case the man is a moron and an embarrassment to human kind…. how can someone be this dull and stup!d at the same time

    • Shame!
      We have listened to the phone conversation between the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda and a PF official Chanda Nyela.
      The whole chilling conversation smells the ugly stench of tribalism, nepotism and deep rooted corruption which is the hallmark of what PF is known for.
      With such conversations going round in corridors of the PF government offices, it once more confirms the deep rooted corruption, tax evasion and grand theft as revealed by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) reports, and the numerous Auditor General’s reports.
      In a normal country,
      Mr. Kingsley Chanda would by now be packing and be dismissed for condoning a conversation that encourages tax evasion and nepotism in such a sensitive and strategic government office.
      How can…

    • Continued
      How can the whole lot of the Commissioner General Mr. Chanda have so much hatred against fellow citizens for merely exercising their democratic right of belonging the UPND yet they are also paying taxes, though it’s being looted by PF criminals?
      We have insisted that there is wide spread segregation of citizens in this country by the PF regime on mere suspicion of belonging to the UPND when it comes to accessing government services and opportunities in many sectors of our economy.
      We as UPND reject such classifications and divisions of our citizens and look forward to reuniting the broken Zambian family into one entity once again.
      We reiterate that every citizen deserves equal opportunities regardless of their political affiliations as we are in a democracy with divergent…

    • Shame!
      … democracy with divergent views.
      Of course we do not expect law enforcement agencies to move in on Mr. Chanda and ZRA as the PF regime has completely destroyed all the government institutions with their stinking corruption and needs a complete overhaul under the new leadership of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND.
      Issued by:
      Patrick Mucheleka
      UPND Deputy Secretary General for Politics

  2. Speculation and witch hunting is for the losers, haters and people without agenda. If the FIC report is factual, why not name the so called corrupt officials? Thats why President Lungu is a great leader, you dont respond to mere allegations without evidence.

  3. President Lungu is correct. Zambia is a country of laws. Let the law be the law. FIC report is raw data and 100% speculative!

    Change the law. FIC is poison!

  4. The worrying thing is like the President does NOT like or FIGHTS the FIC instead of giving it support! If the report is speculative, why not ask them to be more specific and assure them of total protection? Auditor General’s reports havw been published with clear issues warranting arrests and prosections,what is rate enforcement on findings?

  5. The report has agencies, banks and firms indicated. They have a human basis. A few people have already even linked them to names that include government officials – without even being investigative wings. ECL’s maneuvers are clearly to disparage the report and ensure that the people involved are protected (for reasons which may include the fact that he himself and his aides are complicit) What more do we want? Why do some people, including some bloggers here choose to deny, deny, deny? Then there are the Auditor-Generals reports – with ministries mentioned, transactions tabulated. Is this docility, ignorance or inhuman complicity that is oblivious to the suffering of others due to the plunder of resources by the few?

    • I have just gone through the report. It is so dismal! Sounds like bar gossip we used to engage in when I was based in Zambia. It sounds too academic and speculative. Section 5.1.2 Tax Evasion makes a recommendation on presumptive tax to be extended to small enterprises such as Barber shops, Saloons, etc. Give me a break!!! What is FIC’s Mandate?
      Cash transactions during Agricultural Marketing season should not be attributed to financial irregularities but lack of inclusive banking facilities in the country. Relevant ministries, BOZ and market players should ‘bang’ their heads together to come up with a lasting solution.
      Recommendation on 6.3 Undervaluation of precious stones is too weak to fly.

  6. This FIC is proving to be a thorn in lungus side …….him and his aids are getting exposed and would like to see FIC banned but they can not do that.

    After 9/11 all countries linked to the global banking system had to sign up to scrutiny of money flows to combat terrorist finance.

    You ban FIC , you get cut off from the world banking network.

  7. Comment:kkkkkkkkkkk.mr president that report is not meant for you, even the drafters knew that you would not act on it and they don’t expect you to act on it because now it is common knowledge that you are allegic to integrity. it was meant for the Zambians to make their own judgement of your leadership sir

    • Lungus speciality was defending criminals and covering dirty money.

      That is all he is wired to think of and do.

  8. how do you wear grey shirt, trousers and coat? thats why they say money cant buy class. even with all that theft, he will always remain a rat from chawama. elisa is so shocked at this. she thinks am the best dressed zambian. She says my sense of style is not like the typical zambian men who lack any fashion sense.

  9. A normal president should take keen interest in such a report when he sees that a country or resources he’s presiding over is being looted. Never seen a buffoon like this guy..real mbuzi. What must people do make this guy wake up honestly??. FIC Report,,,do you even read it?

    • The FIC is a Government investigative agency.The best the President should have done is to assure the nation that he will do everything possible to support the relevant law enforcement agencies to prosecute cases that have been reported to them in the light of the colossal sums involved.You dont dismiss offhand a report from such an important agency as speculative and walk away.

  10. Watch lungu scapegoat and sack innocent people or ones on the out boarders of his corruption network , so as to to dupe the donner countries.

    We hope donner countries have woken to this gimmick used by lungu.

    • Yes , we are going to broadcast it to every cell attached to WhatsApp in Zambia.

      Until lungu does something…..

  11. Mwebantu napapata any one with a known cure for jet lag, I am asking for a friend, he seriously in need.

  12. This buffoon is President of our country Ladies and gentlemen! What a spineless drunk! seriously PF must go!

    • By naming names FIC will be seen as interfereing in internal affairs of a country.

      FIC and related bodies are a international requirement for countries to track money flows for terror finance and as such can only point to suspicious money transactions but can not name any names for fear of being labelled as a tool used by the west for regime change.

      In this case FIC even went a step further to try to prode lungu into action by just short of naming names. All transactions are disclosed.

  13. Zambia is in serious trouble with the lackluster approach to his fiduciary duties. The national treasury and National assets are at high risk.

    Very sad for our country, folks.

  14. The president is partly right for saying he will not pass any comments on this report because truth be told, no names were mentioned. It is a call to FIC to grow some guts and call out the people implicated in whatever supposed corruption activities. If you take the Mueller report in the US for instance, names were mentioned and arrests were made. Let FIC give names. I read the damn thing, the preamble was a put off, talking about joining this and that alliance whatever you call it, what an exercise in futility. Give us the damn names so that we stop guessing and vote whichever minions out of office. Power to the people!!!!

    • By naming names FIC will be seen as interfereing in internal affairs of a country.

      FIC and related bodies are a international requirement for countries to track money flows for terror finance and as such can only point to suspicious money transactions but can not name any names for fear of being labelled as a tool used by the west for regime change

    • @23 middle kingdom, yours is the only sensible comment so far. Most comments on this thread are either emotional or plain immature. Zambian have proven to be very easy to lead because they most of the time think with their hearts.

  15. By the way president Lungu is a man of the law, he understands that one cannot jump to simple conclusions and take premature action on “rumors.”As a lawyer he will act on evidence and after effective cross examination, bring the culprits to book. If our head acted on half truths then our very democracy would be in danger. So ba FIC complete the job. Way to go ba kateka!

    • By naming names FIC will be seen as interfereing in internal affairs of a country.

      FIC and related bodies are a international requirement for countries to track money flows for terror finance and as such can only point to suspicious money transactions but can not name any names for fear of being labelled as a tool used by the west for regime change

    • middle kingdom u r sure that the report given to the public is the same report given to the president really think

  16. if it had the support of the state House they would be bold enough to mention names and provide more details but they are afraid of being fired. imagine if people from such agencies can only be appointed and fired by 96% of parliament this report would be differentdifferent just like ACC and other agencies.

  17. Since FIC is mainly composed of auditors, pass this report on to TIZ, ACC, DEC, and ministry of justice. We will be waiting for statements from these relevant investigative wings on this FIC report. I believe FIC has no capacity to prosecute any implicated individuals so if the relevant investigative wings do not do their part, then this will just be filed away. One Zambia, One nation!

    • We are still waiting action on the last 2 AG reports and the last FIC report ……

      Our patience is not infinite

  18. Lungu at least pretend to fight corruption than deny it. Fighting corruption will bring in money you so desperately need. Sata and Mwanawasa tried at least to fight corruption and money was dished to them giving the economy the much needed growth it needed. It’s common sense that the people implicated must be up the hierarchy. No way a simple civil servant would steal that much and not be sitting in a jail somewhere

    • Theirs main preoccupation is to loot and loot hard. Anything that creates an inderance or obstacle is against the spirit of theory main purpose and therefore illogical to them. Zambians you’re a strange lot with very high expectations even when someone told you he had no vision. Do you think if he undertook to Carry out further investigations & prosecutions there would anyone remaining in his Government????? Think hard again Zambians!!! There is nothing wrong with ECL!!! That’s just who he is.

  19. Zambians, you voted for Lungu on the basis that he was humble!
    See now where humbleness has landed you! You have realized now that holding hands in praying position like a praying mantis is not humbleness!
    Humbleness (Humility) is not arrogant! This is arrogance from ECL! He knows the other report submitted to Law enforcement wings has names but wants to use the document correctly written for public consumption as an excuse?
    Anyway, we can only say once a widow robber, always a thief! He is the Archbishop of Corruption and abates and aids it! Guy Scott warned Zambians. See where your tribal voting of wako NI wako has landed you!

  20. You can’t just report things on hearsay, give the president facts to work on. I’m sure you’ve all followed the Muller report and saw how Congress pushed for clarification. If you have hard evidence of stealing, please publish it with evidence so that we can give instant justice because we know our kangaroo courts are dysfunctional. The President’s challenge to the people writing these reports is reasonable. He is simply saying show me the thieves rather than saying you are all thieves. How do you expect a thief to act on other thieves if your reporting is ambiguous? So you FIC reporters, give us iwe ala!

    • Lungu is being disingenuous with the truth……his investigative wings can get the same bank records with names attached.

      If the muller report was by an international body, no names would be mentioned for fear of interfering with the internal affairs of the US.

      FIC has pointed out the irregularities in finance.

      Lungu knows exactly what they are talking about

    • @Spaka, malabish! Not so long ago a British reporter pointed out where Zambia’s wealth was and you also recall some names were given of Zambian politicians evading tax? How do you know Lungu knows exactly, is he your mate? Stop rumourmongering and learn to work with facts.

    • FutureZed

      You are ignorant to the workings of investigative bodies given access to a countries financial money flows to combat terror.

      Zambia signed up to be open to FIC type agencies after 9/11. All banking money flows can be looked at.

      FIC can point out suspect money flows but can not name names as this would be punted out as interfering in internal politics.

      Those panama papers you mention that exposed tax evaders were an illegal tap like Julian assanges winkileakes.

    • I say lungu knows what FIC is talking about because those money trials pointed out by FIC have names attached to them at the banks.

      You don’t do hudge money deals through banks with out giving a name and ID

    • @Spaka, it’s people like you that seriously need to be cleansed of that ka colonial mentality. You think everything from the west is textbook material. First of all, you haven’t got the foggiest idea of what you are talking about and please stop pretending to sound intelligent when all you are doing is giving your opinion on how things work. You did not write that FIC report so, please first educate yourself to always be impartial when dealing with half baked information. Do you seriously think Zambians are that foolish not to know how people steal money? Have you ever considered why these same people you claim can pinpoint where the stolen money always fall short of returning it? stop hurting and start loving yourself a little…your mind will work better.

  21. sometimes I feel it is a curse to be a Zambia. Out of 17 million people honestly went for this one. Mwanawasa wouldn’t tolerate this sh!t.

  22. As His Excellency correctly observes there is no mention of names in the FIC report, but indications that there is lots of serious white collar crime out there. FIC may not have names because the names are obviously concealed, but as His Excellency correctly observes, this is now a matter for serious investigations by the DEC, ACC etc. Let’s go DEC and ACC etc, green light has been given by His Excellency, directives are reserved for ministers.

  23. FIC is not DEC or ACC, therefore it cannot investigate down to the last detail like names. It is sufficient for FIC to establish that crimes ARE being committed. So it is up to government to investigate, not to dismiss the FIC report.

  24. #25 China, dont mention Sata in the same sentence as Mwanawasa. You are not aware that RDA , NRFA were housed in state house under Nsanda reporting directly to Sata? You are not aware that road contract were then given to party cadres for sale to Chinese and other contractors? He is the Alpha of corruption at the level we know it today. The rest are graduates of Sata’s systems.

  25. Same baffoons on Lusaka Times 24/7. How the hell do you make a living? Bali myupa matako yenu? Get a life before you become like Newstead Zimba or Kangwa Nsuluka before his death. Life is too short worrying about other people’s problems whilst forgetting your own inhouse issues. 95% of most of you just want to hear yourself talking. Get a life tuputi twenu.

  26. So FIC do this country a favour by naming all those involved in this financial scam so that they start appearing in court while in office like Chitotela…..hehehehe Zambia for us!!

  27. There is no water in lusaka especially in Lusaka west(Matero,lilanda estate & lilanda).It seems our MP is usless—-sssss .Lusaka is idle in this area for the past one month.People are wondering if lusaka water exits.This company is making PF unpopular in Matero constituency.We can’t live without water.What’s happening with our MP,councilors especially chi Saulosi. Mr.president please tell these councilors and our MP to work.There is no way we can’t have water in homeground of PF.The chaps indeed we have in this country don’t want to work.

  28. Dear Mr Lungu – If you mean well for our country and if you want our country to start growing again then PLEASE RESIGN !! Our economy is the worst it has been in 12 years – we are going in reverse faster than the speed of light. Businesses are sufferring, people can’t afford the basics, costs are rising, and when GST sets in there will be even less to spend as everything will cost more. HOW DO YOU DISMISS THIS REPORT TIME AND TIME AGO – HOW BECAUSE THOSE IN CHARGE ARE IMPLICATED. PLEASE DO US A FAVOUR RESIGN SO NEW ELECTIONS CAN BE HELD BEFORE OUR COUNTRY REACHES THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

  29. I am confused! This is the second FIC Report…when the first Report went out names were mentioned. The DG was threatened not only with losing her job but also that she risked being sued in her individual capacity by those mentioned. What she has done is send out a generic report but am sure the law enforcing agencies have names but not worry Madam DG reissue a report with names…..so its not speculative…

  30. IT IS LIKE BA LUNGU FEARS HIS MINISTERS. HE IS PRETENDING NOT TO KNOW WHEN EVEN IN HIS HEART AND MIND HE KNOWS THE TRUTH.!WHEN A SERIOUS ISSUE ARISES U WILL C THEY WILL TRY BRING IN SOME CONFUSION SO THAT PEOPLE GET CARRIED AWAY. IMAGINE,DR.CHITALU 49 HOUSES WHAT OF HIM WHAT HE HAS GOTTEN? BOSS THIS IS A CAUTION JUST LIKE U SAID U DON’T HAVE A VISION FOR THE COUNTRY DON’T OVER ABUSE YOUR OFFICE AND DON’T BE USED BY PEOPLE WHO DON’T MEAN WELL EG KZ,CHANDA GUYS ETC.PEOPLE,ARE JUST AWAITING FOR YOUR DEPATURE AND U WILL DANCE YOUR KWASAKWASA.DON’T THINK PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH YOU.AND THIS IS A SIGN THAT GOD HAS WALKED OFF YOUR LIFE.U HAVE BECOME SAUL. I PITY U MR.LUNGU AND YOUR FAMILY,FRIENDS AND MINISTERS ON HOW THE LA WILL DEAL WITH U. REFLECT ON WHAT HAPPNED TO FTJ.AND FOR U IT WILL…

  31. Let Fic give the breakdown. How did they
    Arrive at those figures? Money laundering
    Tax evasion,corruption ?etc.Be specific
    And publish with names.Its difficult to
    Take this matter to court.let Zambians
    Get the true picture.otherwise it will die
    A natural death.

  32. !diot Sunday Chanda has already done a write up supporting the stance of this imbecilic dull m0r0n of a president.

  33. Corruption is at the very core of national ills and a credible state organisation gives you damning information and his response is that there were no names? Does that make the report irrelevant? Should he as president no be concerned and want to know the names of those involved in rabid corruption? This man must stop insulting our intelligence in this manner. He continues not to behave presidential in a typical manner that those who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad or foolish!

  34. sometimes I wonder what level of education some of these bloggers here have attained Zambia is so messed up that a sitting president can call a FIC report speculations and some !diot is there busy defending him guys are you educated nangu ni insufficient education that’s causing your confusion in short are you just mere grade 12 ba Spaka thank you for trying to explain to these ba G12 please guys get a degree maybe you might start to understand these issues better

    • You don’t need to be a scientist decorated with degrees to tell you how to analyse a half baked report. Common sense prevails. You guys are so obsessed with the president that you lose focus on the topic at hand. No one is defending the president here, we want facts. We are interested in catching people who steal cleanly without being emotional because of the hate you harbor for an individual. Some of you need to take a chill pill because not everyone is oblivious to fake news designed to fast track your preferred candidate to state house. We know he promised you jobs but seriously…chill.

  35. In as much as we can appreciate the fact that no names are specifically mentioned in the FIC report as alluded to by ECL, he cannot however run away from the responsibility of digging deeper into what the report has laid bare. These malpractices are happening on ECL’s watch and the nation and the world at large watch aghast at the seriousness of it all.

    It behoves him (ECL) well to take heed of the calls to address these malpractices. I deem it fitting that at this point, the government should take a long, cold hard look at itself and face the glaring truth of what is ailing this wonderful country.

    These reports should quite naturally alarm a well-meaning, honest to goodness, upright president and not to be discarded nonchalantly the way ECL keeps doing. This is unacceptable and…

  36. now if the president cant trust institution established by government who else is he going to believe? and what is the work of his inteligent team?

  37. If it is true that FIC is only speculative, then the FIC writers should improve the presentation of the report and the results. Why rush to publish a report when your report is not worth the paper it is written on? Why tarnish other other people’s images when your report is half baked? It is takes a lot of time to build a reputation but it can just take a pen to destroy it. The power of the mighty pen! No, FIC needs to do better. Let the organization improve its reporting. Whoever are funding this organization need to take it to task.

  38. ECL need to reply responsibly. FIC certainly know the people involved and what they are in society. He needs to order national inestigative institutions ( acc, dec, etc) to do their statutory work and act , as ecpected of a president, based on their report . not this response we are geting please!

  39. I think HE has a point. The FIC should have mentioned names and while sending a copy to the president, FIC should have also sent another copy of the report to ACC. That would have been prudent as the ACC would then have gone a step further to validate the report and take action……investigate further and effect arrests once evidence is satisfactorily or sufficiently collected. By taking a report without names to the president, what can he do to unknown criminals!

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