SOUTH AFRICA’S MLONZI NAMED IN AIRPORT GOLD SCAM
SOUTH African businessman Mcebisi Mlonzi has been identified as the co-mastermind of the gold heist that was thwarted by the Drug Enforcement Commission at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Monday.
And sources within the investigative wings have told News Diggers that the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) is investigating allegations into claims by the foreign suspects that the Zambian businessmen involved in the gold scam had already taken out about US$5 million from the private jet before the whole transaction was exposed and thwarted.
Mlonzi is the proclaimed representative of the South African company called TFM that accused Health Minister Sylvia Masebo of soliciting for a bribe after the government cancelled its US$100 million contract to construct prefabricated hospitals.
“He is actually one of the key person in this. Mlonzi is the one who knows the Egyptians and the other foreigners who came into the country. He is the one who connected them to the Zambian guy, Kasanda. He told them that Kasanda had the connection that could help them have a safe landing and transact without being inconvenienced,” the source explained.
Another source narrated how the local businessmen pulled off the scam and got away with millions before foiling the deal.
“It’s not true that this private jet was intercepted the moment it landed. That’s not what happened, otherwise you would not have found both the gold and the money on the same plane. What we know is that the transaction actually did happen. A lot of private planes come into the country and they are cleared as normal with a normal manifest.
This was the case with this jet. You can talk about the efficiency of our airport security and that is a story for another day. So when the jet landed, the occupants communicated with their contact person and this gold dealer now went there and he even entered the plane. You know that one I am talking about… he presented the gold and it was tested. Of course he had fake gold and some genuine bars. The foreigners told him that the quantity was not enough. So he told them that he was going to organise the rest of it, but he needed to go with the money. So they gave him about half the money involved and he went away,” the source narrated.
“While he was away and I think he took long to return, that’s how the airport security now started asking questions and in the process DEC was alerted of suspicious activity at the airport. It was at that point that the whole operation was thwarted. Now, realizing that the transaction had been exposed, this is when the local businessman who had already gotten away with the money decided to act as a whistleblower and started telling police officers also that there was a plane with money at the airport. That’s why you are hearing him claim that he is just a whistleblower. But DEC is actually investigating this report also, because they have been tipped that the South African involved took part of the loot and fled the country before the operation was completely foiled. You may be aware that the President was tipped by Monday morning and he issued instructions that anyone involved must be arrested without exception, so DEC is going for anyone who is linked.
Meanwhile, News Diggers has learnt that the said private jet originated from Amman, Jordan, made a stop over in Egypt, Cairo before flying to Lusaka with Egyptian nationals on board.
The sources revealed that the same plane was previously used by that country’s senior government officials, including the police and secret service over the last few years, although the State-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA) reports that the plane was not Egyptian.
Egyptian politicians have mounted pressure on the government leadership, that had been silent since the matter broke out, to provide answers to the speculating citizens.
During a heated Al Jazeera programme yesterday, renowned politician Talaat Khalil demanded to know how Egyptians were involved in the scandal.
“The plane might very well be not Egyptian but is owned by Egyptians. This is common. Also, nobody said how long the plane stayed in transit in Egypt. We also must be told if the goods seized from the plane originated from Amman or were transferred to the plane in Cairo. This matter is very important to the Egyptian people and it is causing many rumours to spread. These rumours are of our own making when we don’t speak out. We need an official real source to speak to us in cooperation with their Zambian counterparts. With my due respect to General Mohamed Nour El-Din, nobody is answering the questions raised by the average Egyptians who have the right to know. We have to investigate this further and avoid repeating the same sentence that the plane is not Egyptian. Yes, the plane is not Egyptian but six Egyptians were on board. Are they the crew Passengers? What were they doing on the plane? What about the time the plane spent on the ground in Cairo between arriving from Amman and flying to Lusaka? How long was it? Is it not possible that the Egyptians and the goods boarded the plane then? This is a viable question that needs to be answered,” said Khalil.
“In fact, why was the plane in transit in Cairo? It is only an hour flight from Amman? Why did it land in Cairo? To refuel? Did the plane exhaust its fuel in this one-hour flight? Why did the plane land in Egypt? We are not accusing anyone, but we are seeking answers. The government must act and provide information”.
@News Diggers