By Wilfred Zulu

API/APN in Lusaka–Police in London have intercepted 80, 000 British Pounds from Canadian Bank Note Company (CBNC) suspected to be part of a corruption conspiracy in former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba’s government. Investigations have since been launched to ascertain the “cleanliness” of the transaction.

The money was allegedly meant to be paid as commission to a named Zambian businessman.

President Levy Mwanawasa in 2000 established a special Task Force to investigate corruption activities during Chiluba’s ten year rule. 

Task Force on corruption announced in a statement that Zambia’s central bank in 1999 entered into an agreement and awarded a contract to CNBC to supply polymer notes.

Task Force Public relations officer Victor Makai said CNBC had since been supplying polymer notes through a consulting firm agreement with a named Zambian at seven percent commission, whom they appointed as their representatives.

Makai said the local businessman had continued receiving his commission through Barclays Bank Business Centre in Swindon, United Kingdom enroute to Zambia.

“Wilshire Police Station in collaboration with Task Force on Corruption is dealing with the matter which they suspect is part of the corruption conspiracy of the former regime,” the Task Force said.

Makai said Swindon police had filed a freezing order under the restraint procedures with the expectation of returning the money to Zambia.

He said the Task Force on Corruption was consulting its lawyers to establish whether the money was not covered by the worldwide freezing order affecting the alleged plundered assets.

Makai also said local criminal investigations had been extended in order to make a formal request to the British government for the repatriation of the frozen assets.

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com 

API/APN in Kisumu, Kenya

The Agriculture Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa has remained tight-lipped despite of the on-going power struggles and seemingly endless squabbles in the lucrative sugar industry.

The sugar sub-sector of the economy has remained a thorny object in the flesh of the Kibaki administration ever since it came to power on January 2^nd 2003.

Effort to have the industry resuscitated has always hit the rocks due to manipulation and corruptive practices by those charged with the responsibility of managing the country 7 functioning sugar manufacturing factories.

The permanently hailing industry has been christened ‘‘the milking cow’’ in Kenya’s industrial sector.

Top CEO’s in the sugar industry have always deployed unpatriotic managerial scams using pseudo businessmen and brokers as conduits for massive looting the meager resources that has been availed by the government in its declared policy of rehabilitating the industry.

The sugar industry witnessed the worst type of corruption during Minister Kirwa’s tenure at the helm of the Agriculture House. The Minister who prior to his appointment to the cabinet was leading a modest life as a backbencher MP in the 7^th and 8^th parliament is today one of the wealthiest politicians in the Kibaki administration.

At one time Kirwa had come under focus by the Kenya Anti-corruption Commissioner (KACC) but the investigations were called off following alleged ‘’Instruction from above!

In the last five years one of the sugar factories in which the government has the controlling shares has had five CEO’s. This is an average of one MD or CEO every year since 2003.

Sony Sugar Company, which is based in Awendo town in the newly created Rongo district, has had five different CEO’s ever since 2003, but each of these men had left the company in huff following allegation of massive corruption with exception of Eng. Martin Owiti whose departure was politically motivated.

Another sugar factory, Chemelil Sugar Company is said to be limping and semi insolvent. Kirwa has ignored all the cries of local farmers who have pleaded with him to remove the MD Prof Julius Omondi Nyabundi whose managerial style leaves a lot to be desired.

Both Miwani and Muhoroni went burst in 2001 and all the effort to have the two companies resuscitated has hit the rock. The two companies were placed under what the then Agriculture Minister Chris M. Obure termed as ‘’protective receivership’’ How far their assets have not been protected against vandalism is a matter of public conjecture.

And only Mumias Sugar Company, which is under private ownership, has been turning out huge profits annually. But this firm is not free from criticism of corruption.

Just recently thousands tones of imported sugar, which were found by the police and the KRA to have been neatly packed on gunny bags, and packets bearing Mumias Sugar Company official logo and marks were discovered within the Mombasa port.

Mumias Sugar denied the knowledge of his consignment and pleaded with the KRA to have the sugar destroyed saying they were innocent.

But rumours making the round say that people suspected to be behind the scam are those alleged ‘’power brokers’’ who are closely associated with Kirwa and some CEO’s in the sugar industry.

These wheeler-dealers are the most trusted friends of the CEO’s. They are known to be living like kings and yet they are doing no credibly jobs to warrant such status. Some of them are reliable learnt to be political surrogate of Kirwa.

How the Kenya Sugar Board had recently released close to Ksh. 500 million and paid this colossal amount of money to a private firm owned by a Asian family, which had moved to court and filed a legal suit against the controversial business tycoon Mr. Ketan Somaia who at one time was a majority shareholder in Miwani sugar millsdefeats everyone.

The firm had sued Ketan Somaia for a much lesser amount, but got hundreds of millions in excess payment. Kirwa or power brokers and unpatriotic top KSB officials, are suspected to have benefited from the loot.

The chief Executive of the KSB Mr. Andrew Otieno has been suspended. His suspension came about immediately after the opening of tenders for the sale of the same Miwani and Muhoroni sugar companies.

In the surface of it, newspaper reported that Mr. Otieno was suspended after he ignored an order from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Romano Kiome to suspend the opening of the tender documents.

However, the suspension reason was not made specifically clear to the public. It shrouded in secrecy. Otieno’s style of management at the helm of KSB has been shrouded with a lot of controversies, numerous claims and allegations of massive corruption.

The current suspension is the second he has earned in less than three years time. Is he an indispensible person?

Must he remain the KSB CEO and yet his managerial style remains a mystery? Can the government find another suitable replacement?

How can the public trust the deal of sales of Miwani and Muhoroni if questionable men with questionable motives are the one entrusted with the responsibility of brokering such deals?

Farmers in Nyanza, especially in Kano plains in Nyando district want the sale deal suspended until such a time when the KSB will be under the guidance of a new CEO with untainted name or else the government should sensitize the farmers to buy and own the two industries instead of foreign and local investors.

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no tle +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

Monrovia (Liberia) The United States government Friday turned over the Capitol Building (the seat of the national legislature) renovated at the cost of US$2.18 million, to the Liberian government.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf described the renovation work was a signal of mutual partnership between the U.S and Liberian governments when she spoke at the ceremony which was held at the Rotunda of the Capitol Building.

She challenged the lawmakers to put the interest of the country first in all they do.

The renovation of the Executive Mansion which was gutted last year by fire and the Temple of Justice ( the seat of the supreme court and other courts) which was looted and destroyed during the civil conflict, are some of the key challenges facing her government, she said.

When she came to power Ellen said the building will be renovated in 100 days but they have lasted for eleven months.

The Capitol Building, massively looted and destroyed during the civil conflict, was renovated with financial support from the U.S government through USAID.

Also making remarks at the turning over ceremony, U.S Ambassador Donald Booth reiterated calls for a probe into allegations of bribery by ousted speaker Edwin Snowe last year.

While the parliament building was under renovation, the parliament convened at the O.A.U Village outside Monrovia where the 1979 O.A.U Summit was held.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Nairobi (Kenya) Kenyan is ready to mediate in the conflicts of the Great Lakes region, Vice president Moody Awori told foreign ministers in the region meeting in Nairobi.

Speaking at the start of the first regional Inter- Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region in Nairobi, he said his government is willing to arbitrate between warring countries to ensure that the political and military turbulence that the region has suffered over the past four decades will be calmed and stopped.

The two-day conference is expected to evaluate the current situation in the region and determine strategies for the implementation of the Pact on Security, Stability, and Development in the Great Lakes region that was signed in Nairobi last year.

The conference will seek peaceful resolutions to the internal and inter-border conflicts that have escalated in the last few months.

“The government of Kenya is willing and ready to arbitrate and encourage peaceful resolutions to all the conflicts, through dialogue. We should not allow ourselves to lose the gains we have achieved, instead we should strive to sustain them for posterity”, said Awori.

He appealed to all heads of state and government in the region that are involved in the conflicts to embrace the ideals of the Pact on Security, Stability, and Development.

He also pointed out that the scourge of illegal small arms and light weapons which have bedeviled the region still remains a great threat to peace and security in the region.

“Unless the populace is sensitized on the need to uphold peace for development it is difficult to successfully implement the pact,” he said.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Paris (France) The government of Senegal, through its consulate-general in France, has begun undertaking a census of PhD students and holders with the view to encourage them to return home and contribute to national development, APA has learnt.

While meeting with student associations in France on Saturday, Senegal’s Consul general in Paris Leopold Faye the identification campaign will soon identify those that are most needed on the national employment market, particularly in the area of higher education.

“Today, the national Education is setting up a network to get four new national universities in two years. Two-hundred PhD lecturers are needed to start a university,” the consul pointed out.

“If we want to develop education, we should be able to identify available resources, determine the training courses based on these resources, offer enticing salary to support the return of the young people and to integrate them in the employment structure,” Faye, himself an inspector of education explained.

The consular authorities have registered more than one hundred PhD students so far.

In December, the Education minister and the registered PhD students will hold the first assessment session in order to examine their reintegration at home.

“We will together consider their aspirations, salary and what Senegal can afford,” Faye concluded.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no