ACC, ZRA ASKED TO SWING IN ACTION
…. and determine if taxes were paid in the Hon Kakubo, Chinese deal
Livingstone… Wednesday December 27, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)
Zambians for Unity Peace and Development (ZUPED) has asked the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to swing in and determine if tax was paid just the same way they did to that traditional leader whose accounts with monies amounting to US$3 milion were seized.
The organization is of the view that if this is not followed, stakeholders will conclude that the application of the law is very selective.
Lawyers for the Chinese businessman are demanding for US$893, 000 plus 10 percent from former Foreign Affairs Minister Stanley Kakubo.
The owner also wants the Benz back.
But ZUPED President Ronnie Jere says Hon Kakubo should have been open enough on this transaction.
“That was purely a business transaction that went rogue. From the court documents, it’s clear that grizzly mining sort a court injunction which was granted, and so there was no way Kakubo and his company and the Chinese would have continued have continued operations at the Mines. The over $800,000 that the Chinese are claiming include cost of hire of machinery that are stationed at the mine, which in my view is not Kakubo’s mistake. I should think that’s why the President failed to fire him. But again, the mistake he made was to attempt to sell the mine to another investor, and I think that’s what infuriated the Chinese investors,” he said.
“He should have been open enough on this transaction. it’s clear the Minister wanted to use his position to intimidate the Chinese investors by ignoring their calls for a dialogue. For someone to reach the extent of exposing you, it means all other avenues have failed, and the Minister should have known that he is trading with his reputation and political career, if you run a business and you’re a politically exposed person you have to make sure that your businesses are genuin. Don’t be crooked otherwise these are the conquencies.”
He hoped that the transactions Hon Kakubo had with these Chinese attracted the necessary taxes saying, from the videos circulating, he is almost 100% sure that no tax was paid.
“This was a cash transaction and ZRA may not be able to determine how much tax was to be paid,” he concluded.