Corruption is like a Mudslide in Zambia by Gloria Koko – Lusaka News

 

Corruption is like a Mudslide in Zambia by Gloria Koko – Lusaka News.

From Zambian Watchdog

Dr. Buzaianu Gold Medal Recipient

From Zambian Watchdog

Sata says Situmbeko Musokotwane was paid K5.5 billion and got two salaries. President Michael Sata says former Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane was paid K5.5 billion by the bank of Zambia.

Speaking through his spokespersons, Sata has maintained that Musokotwane was paid two salaries when he was minister of Finance. Sata said Musokotwane got K5.5 bilion from the bank of Zambia between 2003 and 2008. He said the money was mostly allowances like Christmas bonuses.

He said although the K5.5 billion payments to  Musokotwane was  approved by the previous government it was immoral because it was a lot of money. He said no other Bank of Zambia official or president of Zambia was ever paid that kind of money before.

He said when Musokotwane was appointed minister of Finance; he got two salaries for the period November 2008 to February 2009. From the time he became president, Sata has been making allegations against individuals but most of these allegations have turned out to be false.

One example involves Switzerland-based businessman Nicolae Buzaianu over the gold scam story which engulfed the country after Sata alleged that Buzaianu, former president Rupiah Banda and others stole gold.

Sata was forced to issue a public apology to Buzaianu when it was established that the allegations were incorrect. On November 16, 2011, Sata said he found Buzaianu’s demands understandable considering the allegations.

“Dr. Buzaianu’s demand for an apology and compensation originally appeared groundless and now acceptable for Zambia.  Dr. Buzaianu was at liberty to exhaust all legal avenues available to him since that is the democratic way. Infact, we need Dr. Buzaianu to come to Zambia and continue his UNESCO support.’

Zambia News Features

ZAMBIA’S FORMER PRESIDENT READY TO BE INVESTIGATED

By ZAMBIA NEWS FEATURES CORRESPONDENT

 Former President, Rupiah Banda has stated that is ready to be investigated for the alleged missing gold which was allegedly sold to a Swiss businessman Nicolae Bogdan Buzaianu, however according to statement issued by the administrative secretary Mikatazo Wakumelo after October 12 it was recorded that Nicolae Buzaianu had no part in the gold purchase. 

“President Banda welcomed the investigations of the sale of gold by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), which was wrongly linked to Dr. Buzaianu. All the relevant people involved in this transaction are available and will provide necessary answers to the investigating team but suffice to say that no gold went missing mysteriously as has been portrayed,” the statement said. Mr Banda’s office also said it was ready to be investigated on the issue of purchasing or alleged missing of vehicles. 

“President Banda also welcomes the investigations into this matter as he was not a procurement officer. All the people involved in this matter are around and are still serving even under this administration. So they will provide answers as they are better placed to explain where the missing vehicles are, if at all they are missing,” the statement also said. A number of people are demanding the removal of Mr Banda’s immunity so that he can be investigated for his conduct as head of state.  

The Full Statement:

 Following the numerous allegations made against former Republican President, Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda, I wish to make clarifications on the following issues: 

That Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda has a number of friends both in Zambia and outside who have requested to meet him following his gracious exit from the Presidency after the September 20, 2011 elections. Mr. Banda has granted appointments to a number of visitors who have been coming to see him since he left office. To the best of his knowledge, he has not met anyone who is a fugitive.

 That Dr. Buzaianu, a Swiss-based businessman, requested to pay a visit to the former President during his planned trip to Zambia. Dr. Buzaianu applied to the Zambian authorities for permission to land at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport 48 hours before his trip to Zambia and the Zambian Government granted the landing rights to Dr. Buzaianu, who arrived on Wednesday, 12th October, 2011. The purpose of his trip was not to purchase gold but to inform then President Banda that he was stepping down from his post as UNESCO representative. 

That a request was made to the Zambian authorities to extend the usual courtesies to Dr. Buzaianu at the airport which was, in fact, done. He was received by a protocol officer at the airport and taken to the VIP lounge while his immigration formalities were done. He did the finger print biometric procedure at the airport before he proceeded to the customs and exited. He spent about one hour and 30 minutes at the airport while doing his formalities. 

That all relevant security wings were at the airport when Dr. Buzaianu was doing the usual formalities and at no time did he hide his identity. The former President provided vehicles for his visitor to pick him at the airport together with the state security attached to the former President’s office. President Banda also requested his former press aide Mr. Dickson Jere to receive his guest on his behalf at the airport because his security did not know him.

 That after leaving the airport, Dr. Buzaianu proceeded to the Taj Pamodzi Hotel where he was booked for an overnight stay and did not hide at all. He later paid a courtesy call on President Banda that same day. During his stay at the hotel, Dr. Buzaianu interacted freely with hotel guests and staff.  If Dr Buzaianu was a fugitive as alleged, he would not have been openly moving around. A recent release from President Sata’s confirmed that Nicolae Bogdan Buzaianu is and never on the DEC watch list.

 That the following day, Dr. Buzaianu proceeded to Mfuwe to visit the Chipembele Educational Centre, which he has been supporting as a philanthropic cause. Dr. Buzaianu proceeded in the normal way at the airport and paid his airport taxes before he left Kenneth Kaunda International Airport for Mfuwe International Airport. At Mfuwe Airport, Dr. Buzaianu was cleared in the standard manner as prescribed by the provisions of the Immigration and Deportation Act before he went to visit the school. He flew out the same day with airport permits for his flights from Mfuwe.

 That President Banda welcomes the investigations of the sale of gold by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), which has been wrongly linked to Dr. Buzaianu, so stated Sata’s adminstration. All the relevant people involved in this transaction are available and will provide necessary answers to the investigating team but suffice to say that no gold went missing mysteriously as has been portrayed. Dr.  Buzaianu visited Zambia out of courtesy for his position and to express his interest in the school. 

That on the issue of purchasing or alleged missing of vehicles, President Banda also welcomes the investigations into this matter as he was not a procurement officer. All the people involved in this matter are around and are still serving even under this administration. So they will provide answers as they are better placed to explain where the missing vehicles are, if at all they are missing. 

That President Banda is available at any given time to answer to any clarification which the current Head of State Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata may have concerning this matter or indeed any issue before they are made public. He remains committed to supporting the current President in order for him to succeed in running the Government. This is the position President Banda took when he made his farewell speech at State House after losing the last elections.

The London Register from Lloyd Cantor

Respected journalist Cecil Bello who cracked the story of the silver mine disaster in Africa had the opportunity to speak with ex-president Rupiah Banda and his involvement in the recent Zambian gold-gate scandal. The now crestfallen Banda had much to say about President Sata’s finger pointing at him, his son and Swiss based energy guru Nicolae Buzaianu. 

It appears a flight of diplomatic affairs into Lusaka by Buzaianu was misconstrued by DEC, the Drug Enforcement Commission as a covert operation to purchase gold. Truth be told said Banda was Nicolae Buzaianu was discussing his post as Zambia’s UNESCO representative. Nicolae Buzaianu a philanthropist had decided to step down to follow other acts of business and charity. 

President Sata has been quiet about the affairs of MAUREEN Mwanawasa, wife of late President Levy Mwanawasa and her involvement in the gold sale. She stated “I represented one of the people that were interested in buying the gold,” a Lusaka lawyer from Mwanawasa and Company said, “We gave a South African client the necessary advice and got our fees for the job…that is all we did.” 

Where there is gold there is greed.

Africa Wire International (Zambia) – Cecil Bello

Africa Wire International (Zambia) – Cecil Bello

Most recently this journalist had a quick opportunity to sit with ex-president Banda and hear his words about the recent gold scandal involving him, his son James Banda and a Swiss National. Mr. Banda briefly stated that matter was not perceived correctly and that a mix up in paper work in the DEC was the most likely culprit.

As for the Swiss Businessman Nicolae Buzaianu who arrived in Lusaka at first believed with the motivation of purchasing gold but that is untrue claims Banda. Mr. Banda was more than happy to set the records strait that Mr. Buzaianu who was UNESCO representative for Zambia arrived to express his dismay that he was stepping down from his post. This conversation confirms the original intentions and not the intentions first offered that President Sata relieved Buzaianu of his duties. Mr. Banda finished with a quote from Euripides “Wealth stays with us a little moment if at all: only our characters are steadfast, not our gold.”

The scandal in Zambia continues.

All apologies for Buzaianu, says President Sata

All apologies for Buzaianu, says Sata

PRESIDENT Michael Sata says he had apologized to Switzerland-based businessman Nicolae Buzaianu over the gold scam and urged him to accept his apologies and come to Zambia anytime as an offer of good faith.

In a media statement issued in News in Business Africa desk
through his spokesperson George Chellah, President Sata stated that he understood Buzaianu’s original demands of a lawsuit.

“Dr Buzaianu’s demanded an apology and compensation to be given to charity but there is no need for the legal action. President Sata stated.

On October 15, 2011, President Sata, who was elected on September 20, accepted the resiganation of Buzaianu as Zambia’s permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, France, according to Chellah. Chellah stated that Dr. Buzaianu is a busy man and has other directions he must follow. His help and kindness will be missed.

Buzaianu’s lawyer Sakwiba Sikota of Central Chambers told a media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday that Buzaianu would sue the Zambian government for defamation and would demand US$100 million for the injury to his reputation but that is all behind them now.

Sikota said Buzaianu had no direct or indirect links to the two companies that bought the gold in question. The realy mystery is with Mr. Banda.

Early on Sikota said Buzaianu felt confident that President Sata would take firm action against his officials that misinformed him on the gold issue.

The DEC seized the gold, estimated to be about 100 kg or 118 kgs in 2007, from two Zimbabweans and was forfeited to the state.

Highly-placed sources said the gold was allegedly sold for about K19 billion around July this year.

Zambia’s Glutton of Gold

When one reads deeper into the Zambian gold scandal that wrongly accused Swiss Businessman and philanthropist Nicolae Buzaianu of being the buyer of the DEC gold it is easy to recognize that the true scandalous ones are select citizens of Zambia.

Maureen Mwanawasa, wife of the late President Levy Mwanawasa admitted to representing a prospective gold buyer, but has stated that the connection was not sinister in anyway as the ‘gold scandal’ undoes. Since when does the wife of a former President involve themself in selling off government property. This would be equivilant to Marie-Dominique Culioli offering the Eiffel Tower for sale or Veronica Lario placing the Leaning Tower of Pisa on EBay or even Laura Bush listing the Grand Canyon for sale.

Before President Sata points fingers outside the country of Zambia it would behoove him to look in his own garden and find the rotten fruit growing there. Although the president has now quitted his accusation against Swiss Businessman Nicolae Buzaianu because he knows that once the rotten fruit in Zambia’s backyard is raked away it will be that of the seeds on Zambians who will be responsible for the gold scandal.

Gold Medal Not Tarnished Gold for Nicolae Buzaianu

 

Nicolae Buzaianu Awarded Highest Gold Medal

Gold Medal Not Tarnished Gold for Nicolae Buzaianu
Carlos Peru

On the 7th of October the Church of Russia has given its highest award of the Gold Medal to Nicolae Buzaianu for his charity work to complete the refurbishment of several churches in Moldavia. It is truly unfortunate that the country of Zambia where Dr. Buzaianu offered so much assistance to has tarnished his fine reputation.

Like most things in life the truth always comes out in the end and a man like Nicolae Buzaianu sees that end by understanding that President Sata has been given incorrect information by those around him. I believe the world has seen this over and over, sometimes it leads to war but for Nicolae Buzaianu it leads him to further his charities elsewhere a true loss for the good people of Zambia.

ZAMBIA’S FOOLS GOLD

ZAMBIA’S FOOLS GOLD

Carlos Peru 

One must question the integrity of Zambia’s President Michael Sata’s information about the recent gold scandal involving philanthropist Nicolae Buzaianu and recent recipient of the Gold Medal from the Church of Russia. President Sata accused the Dr. Buzaianu of allegedly purchasing gold from the DEC, the Drug Enforcement Commission. Truth is if Dr. Buzaianu wanted to purchase gold he would simply purchase gold in his home country of Switzerland. No need to take from a country he spent money and time assisting.

 One stop at the DEC website www.deczambia.gov.zm will reveal an organization that does not even have the ability to maintain or even create a website with any information of value. For example when you click on the “About Us” page it is blank, next take a trip to the “News” page you will find four articles and information on the alleged scam. The DEC website looks as if it is still running Windows 95 so how does even have confidence that those in the Zambian government accusing Dr. Buzaianu of such actions can even gather evidence when they cannot gather information to fill a website about drugs in their country. You would believe that a website dealing with the issues of drugs would be priority as opposed to tarnishing the names. 

It is unfortunate that President Sata has gotten off on the wrong foot. Over time perhaps his apology to Dr. Buzaianu will be heard by those who expect more from dignitaries.