By Field Ruwe EdD
“We look forward to rigorous defense of facts,” said Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) Executive Director Alexander Von Bismarck in the recent video address, setting the stage for a showdown between Jean Kapita, Given Lubinda, and Tasila Lungu as plaintiffs and EIA and News Diggers as defendants. Also indirectly putting Edgar Chagwa Lungu, president of Zambia on trial. If the presiding judge refuses to get in bed with the boss Minister of Justice Given Lubinda and slumber on the rights of the accused, then equity, which delights to do justice not by halves will prevail, and the lawsuit will either exonerate President Edgar Lungu or expose a heinous crime stage-managed by the Mukula Queenpin Jean Kapata. The cruelty of the lawsuit, as it hangs darkly waiting on the table of justice in the High Court of Zambia is that as the Queenpin goes so goes the president.
To save the president, Kapata, Lubinda, and Tasila must hire Zambia’s Clarence Darrow or Johnnie Cochran—lawyers known for miraculous reprieves. Here is why: For EIA to implicate a president of a sovereign nation in such a horrendous scandal that reflects negatively upon his honor, and obliterate a legacy he is laboriously trying to build can only mean two things; either Bismarck and his team are bent on conducting covert psychological warfare to destabilize, alter and oust governments in Third World countries, as Kapata insinuates, or EIA possesses irrefutable evidence beyond the Mukula Cartel Report.
Jean Kapata the Queenpin
As the lawsuit hangs darkly waiting, President Edgar Lungu, his daughter Tasila, Jean Kapata, and Given Lubinda remain guilty insomuch as the Mukula Cartel Report is concerned and have to show the entire world they are innocent. For the past two months, the report has prostrated them. It has lodged in the deep recess of their conscious the unspoken sense of guilt and left them to cope with denial of responsibility that only the court can decide. Moreover, the report has left President Lungu with a shivered moral rectitude and a permanent imprint of a corrupt president who colluded with his daughter to defraud the people of Zambia. In the eyes of the world, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia remains guilty until proven innocent.
With Kapata entrapped in all this, it is impossible to vindicate the president and his daughter Tasila without first proving her innocent. Jean Kapata is at the center of the Mukulagate. She is likely to become a victim of her own lawsuit and take others with her. Here is why. Kapata is fully aware of the illegal trafficking of the Mukula by the four Chinese organized crime syndicates; Wo Shing Wo, San Yee On, 14-Hao, and 14K-Ngai. Called triads, they are part of the Hong Kong ancient mafia groups that have found their way to Africa. In Zambia, like in other Mukula (rosewood) countries, they take advantage of countries disposed to corruption and bribe their way to the top.
The kingpin of the Mukula syndicate in Southern Africa is Xuecheng Hou (aka Jose) a Namibian-Chinese businessman currently facing several trafficking charges in Namibia for wildlife contraband trafficking. According to Oxpeckers, an investigative environmental media outlet, Hou, who runs New Force Logistics has found “ideal targets” in Zambia where he has most of the harvested Mukula. EIA reports that Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata helps traffickers like Hou benefit from the Mukula trade. Comparable media accusations of Kapata dealing in Mukula trafficking in the name of the president have been circulating since she became Minister of Lands and Natural Resources. In court, EIA defense lawyers are likely to portray Kapata as the Queenpin of the Mukula.
Caution: EIA can pack a Fatal Punch
Don’t underrate EIA. Olivia Gordon of the British daily The Guardian writes that although small, EIA packs a big punch when it comes to environment crimes. For years, EIA undercover investigators have fought environment battles with some of the most sophisticated corrupt politicians and dangerous timber criminals in the world and won. Gordon states that in the last ten years, only once has an investigation gone wrong. In her article titled “Don’t Mess With The Eco-Warrior,” Gordon likens EIA undercover investigators to CIA operatives. Each one is a master of camouflage, with a sharp eye, outstanding observation skills, and an analytical mind. To gather accurate information, EIA investigators employ a number of surveillance and investigative techniques to infiltrate or embed into suspected countries continuously and for a long time.
Apparently, the Mukula Cartel Report was produced under similar clandestine circumstances. EIA undercover investigators entered Zambia wearing secret cameras and microphones to gather undeniable evidence needed to make their case. They became, according to Gordon, “consummate actors, posing, for instance, as Western investors, timber traders, using carefully-crafted aliases and carrying phony business cards.” It is possible they have sat at the same dinner table with Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata. It is also possible they have met Lubinda and Tasila, the latter who is never far from trouble, so it seems.
Law Must Take Its Course
The stage is set for Zambia’s trial of the century. Enjoying home-court advantage, the plaintiffs had hoped to fend off EIA, hold News Diggers accountable, hastily conduct inquisitions in the absence of rebutting testimony, and obtain a favorable verdict more in harmony with denials from the plaintiffs than truth—and clear their names and that of the president. This is a cunningly devised litigation stratagem common among apt lawyers who know the issue of service of process in international law is fraught with difficulties. Kapata, Tasila, and Lubinda were hoping such strictures would make it impossible for EIA, domiciled in London, to show up. Well, Bismarck and his team are coming. President Lungu must grant them safe-conduct—the procedure by which they will be permitted to safely enter the country and leave the jurisdiction without harassment and detention. Bismarck and his team must not be subjected to threats and comeuppance via arrest or detention.
In the end, let the chips fall where they may. Should Bismarck and his team fall short, and be found guilty after a fair trial, all their investigations in Asia, South America, and Africa must be rendered unworthy of the piece of paper on which they were written. Bismarck must face the consequences of the law and EIA must be charged with espionage and barred from Sub-Sahara Africa. On the other hand, should EIA win, President Lungu, his daughter Tasila, Jean Kapata, and Given Lubinda should be labelled fraudulent uncouth criminals and held accountable.
Author is a US-based Zambian multicultural scholar practitioner and author. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts, U.S.
Eish, nothing will come out of it!These are Zambia’s god given leaders who will use god given money to dig themselves out of the mess. Anyone opposing will be considered a satanist. That is how brain washed the nation is.
Hmmm the article is written by a well knowledgeable person……..let us see
Ruwe you sound to be a spokesman for EIA. You write as if you are intimidating or instilling fear into Jean, Tasila and Given.
What can one say? Let’s wait for trial to begin. I see routes to unearthing the truth in this matter. I’m only sad that the coubtry is being looted as if we’re still in the 19th century which was characterized by imperial expansion into Africa.
To hell. This is a sovereign state. You can investigate all you want but at the end f the day only a zambian court on zambian soil can try a zambian president. We had powerful men like chiluba tried by British courts, tell me what was the outcome?
We shall see
The thrill thinks it is DEC who cant tress the owner of the 48 houses, This is a different ball game.
Me thinks this court case will never see the light of day……..it will be a drum of worms for the lungus and team waiting to be opened.
Just the mere fact GRZ decleared $13 million in sales of mukula while the Chinese decleared $168 million says it all.
As ruwe says , the EIA is a formidable investigative agency and has millions in donations from wealthy climate conscious organisations and individuals. Climate and environmental protection is a very immortive subject that is taken seriously by many.
For EIA to stand up for their mukula gate expose and risk the millions in donations says they indeed do have solid evidence.
if you are a avid fan of investigative documentaries, am sure you have watched LAWLESS OCEANS documentary before on natgeo or just goggle it, imwe bantu can investigate uku kuma western countries.
mmmmmh! me will only be watching from a distance nkani iyi.
Hv EIA filed their defence? I just want to see a fair judicial process which will help to bring the truth out. But given the criticism of the Judiciary by Judge Malila in his latest book, I don’t want to count any chickens. We now have a good authority: We hv every reason to doubt if justice is done by our courts.
Ba Keeizer Zezulu, cocooned in your shell, Zambia is not an island its connected to the globe through bilateral and multilateral economic, cultural, and financial connectivity in the world. the shirt and those glasses were not manufactured in Matero, Sinda or Feira – your entry point to Zambia. Beware that Charles Taylor, a Congo DRC rebel are serving a sentence not tried in their country of origin courts, soon to be joined by Bashir, former dictator of Sudan currently in jail in Sudan. When criminal offences are committed and affect the world, the world has the right to prosecute you and put you in jail.
Utter hogwash!
Kaizar Zulu…always an idi0t. Its not the president on trail but EIA sued by your two incompetent ministers and Lungu’ s daughter. Why are you rushing things. Slow down and wait for the court case. If your two ministers, Tasila and Lungu are implicated beyond any reasonable doubt, they will be tried by zambian courts
Christina nation……God will unleash his wrath on so called leaders!
KZ ,
warn your boss, this will be a bruising encounter.
EIA will be looked after by the West , with the zambian judicial system under the spotlight , especially after the Foote incident. The EIA will not be intimidated.
Lungu does not deny that he is a corrupt theif out of choice, there is a reason he keeps silent and hopes the accusations will stop………
EIA agenda has been achieved…….get attention…..run a nonsense campaign…..devalue the govt achievements……..hoodwink ignorant citizens
Sometimes the best thing to do is to ignore desperate people with no ethics nor self respect. Look at that libel case Kambwili lost recently……but the man just turned to more libel activities. It should be a prison crime making false allegations against innocent govt officials.
Although this may not go well as far justice for Zambians maybe perceived, there will permanent marks of trust in the first family and the rest. Not a good thing for the first family because any future sufferings in the locals will have an invisible accusing finger pointing in their directions.
The cartel is probably relying on a corrupt local judge that’s why they cannot take this lawsuit to a neutral country.
we need a mass burial for all the kleptocrat leaders and their comrades, Ba Pompwe !!!
Tasila Santos Lungu kuuuuunya!
Shut up and have some respect for the presidency for once. That is why you don’t progress. The bible says respect your elders and superiors to receive blessings.
When I was a child, I used to instill fear in others as EIA is doing to the so called accused. Sometimes it works! But it’s this sounds like a cowardly war cry.
Edgar na Tasila, the net is closing in.
Stup!d article by a colonised African enjoying second class citizenry in US, doing well to please his masters. Bowman had a point. Trying to undermine the Presidency and sovereignity of our country. Really shameful.
Kaiser and all those myopic leeches ranting to be noticed so you can benefit from the barks-droppings if mukula tree theft, take note: it is your Mukula queenpin, Finish Tasila & Zayelo who sued EIA in a bid to intimidate it. But hell no, this is not a nashala-neka-party like that of Spook Mulemwa. These are pros in what they do, and they’re coming to lay their case. Just prepare your facts. Even if your corrupt judges acquit, we the people, will know the truth and shall NEVER forget. Personally I’ll keep a dossier for future reference. Remember FJT? He thought he can intimidate Mmembe with a lawsuit. It led to his early death. Be afraid, be very afraid.
In Zambia we have North Western University
You command respect from your actions and not from the mouth of anyone. If one would like to be respected all you need is do things correctly. That is the way it is, nbo 2 ways. I rest my case
The judge has already been bribed with the corrupt money from the mukula trees and the verdict is “Not Guilty”
WHERE WILL THEY GO NOW?
This month China introduced a ban on buying, transporting, and/or processing illegally sourced timber, as well as an added focus on traceability.
We live in hope that this will help the forests of Zambia and the rest of the world.
Looking forward to seeing the bullet bills that are usually issued for corruption in China.