Friday, March 29, 2024

Saudi bribes got Anthony fired-sources

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President Hakainde Hichilema was forced to fire Anthony Bwalya from State House after it was discovered that he had over US$ 600,000 in his offshore account.

The funds are believed to have been a bribe Mr. Bwalya received for facilitating an investment deal between the Zambian government and a Saudi Arabia entity.

Sources very close to Mr. Bwalya disclosed that President Hichilema was made aware of the information during his recent trip to Dubai.

“This information surfaced a few weeks ago and the President instructed that he does not want to see Anthony anywhere near him and this left Cabinet office in a limbo,” the sources said.

“Very close friends advised Tony (Anthony Bwalya) to see the President and just confess and ask for forgiveness but it was too late.”

The sources said Mr Bwalya ended up meeting Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Oliver Kalabo seeking his intervention.

“It appears it was Mr Kalabo’s idea not to sack him him but suggested redeployment and this is how Mr Bwalya ended up being sent to Tanzania,” the source said.

And in a Facebook post, Mr Bwalya confirmed his sacking.

He has since thanked President Hichilema and the people of Zambia, for the opportunity to serve, and that he is now looking forward to the new assignment.

“We have been re – assigned to go and serve the Republic, and the people of Zambia, at our mission in Dar Es Salam, as Deputy High Commissioner.As Zambia continues to pursue our rapid economic reconstruction agenda for more jobs and business opportunities for all, we must continue to invest in mutually beneficial relationships with countries in the region and beyond,” he said.

Mr. Bwalya said the President and the new administration have made so much positive progress since assuming leadership.

“The economy is on a clear path to growth, the new CDF model is delivering phenomenal economic development possibilities and opportunities for people in the communities where they live, while thousands of our children now have a real opportunity to attain basic education – thanks to the free education policy.”

He said In order to consolidate our push to deliver improved livelihoods for all through trade and investment, we must leverage economic diplomacy to open up new markets, while expanding existing trade and investment channels with other nations.

“With Zambia being open for business, we have a duty and responsibility to identify and harvest economic opportunities present in other countries, and work towards translating these opportunities into jobs and incomes for our people here at home.”

29 COMMENTS

  1. Hh can’t fire anyone for corruption because he too recieved alot of kickbacks for undervaluing our resources. That is why he has not fired but redeployed that Anthony boy

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    • after it was discovered that he had over US$ 600,000 in his offshore account. Only? How much did HH get from the privatisation deals? All politicians including Lungu, HH, his appointees are corrupt. We all know that they are all in it for what they can get not what they can give.

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    • Now we know why almost every Minister is talking about bringing investors. The motivation is to make money. If Anthony can make that much within this short time when he isn’t even the key person, what about the bigger boys?

  2. Sacrificial lamb if this is true….these international trips are just breeding more corruption just like Tarino Orange observed…..personal deals are being made and we told you that the Arabs are known to be more corrupt than the Chinese…remember how they swindled Zambia with the Lapgreen saga

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  3. Kakubo caught red handed and not even a slap on the wrist…. Bwalya tries to make a quick buck and gets a kick on his butt.
    Let’s see the name of his successor.

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    • Mate are you even listening to yourself? So the other guy was corrupt and so this guy has a valid excuse to also be corrupt and not get fired. You must be a PF dude who think corruption and bribery are normal. Unbelievable!

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    • Jigga… you are wrong, I don’t condone corruption and neither am I a PF member. You Upnd cohorts feel free to say THIS ALSO HAPPENED IN PF SO IT’S ALRIGHT.
      My comment is deeper than your shallow head.

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    • Bwalya tries to make a quick buck and gets a kick on his butt….“.
      Unfreakingbebelievable! This kind of thinking is why corruption will never end in this country.
      Corruption now is some kind of a competition or a game. Dude you must be ashamed of yourself for writing that statement. I don’t care about your political lineage.

  4. If true, the guy should have been fired and investigated to send a clear message. Sympathizing with corrupt people is what breeds more corruption. What a rotten country this is!

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  5. In the next reshuffle, he should appoint himself as Foreign Minister

    So that his never-ending foreign trips can be justified

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  6. HH is the last person to take corruption serious. He is a product of corruption.He has never come out of clean on the issue of privatization. How can he fire someone when himself received kickback from privatization for him to be where he is now. Fertilizer and Health scandals have remained unresolved because the people involved are very close to him. Anthony has been sacrificed on a platform of scapegoat. A lot is happening in this administration which the country cannot see.

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  7. If he is corrupt then why transferring him instead of firing him. You have just transferred the problem to TZ. Now he will be free to make shady deals there in TZ.

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  8. These are just stories without facts. I cant Imagine HH having any facts and then just transfering the fella. that is ridiculous.
    I have no reason and TIME to believe such BULSH!T.
    Why not name the person who discovered the SO-CALLED offshore account with US$ 600,000 . This is crap and you must be shallow to believe such a story !!

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  9. What happened to John Sangwa…has he been receiving brown envelopes…..he has been quite…am sure you now know how HH is operating…..he is silencing his critics with appointments or brown envelopes

  10. If thats the case(bribe) he sould be prosecuted not demoted or deployedto an embassy. Thatis sweeping dirt under the carpet

  11. A move that informs the nation that HH is not there to fight or stop corruption. HH must stop pursuing PF on corruption matters. How will he pursue others on corruption while he is just moving corrupt pieces to other places to continue corrupt practices? This is also a shame for the Bembas. Bushe kuti macha macha nimwe mulipamulabasa ati aiba? When will learn to be honorable? Lyonse kwiba.

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