Documentary Title:
WHY HH’S CORRUPTION FIGHT IS GOING NOWHERE
NewsMakers is working on a documentary whose main objective is give insight on some activities which we judge are corrupt by the Patriotic Front administration. Of course, while we hold this view, we also find that the kind of corruption which we witnessed during the PF regime was done in such a way that it involved contractors themselves.
Contractors went into bed with corrupt elements in PF and got contracts at inflated costs. The added amounts were paid to PF officials or government officials in cash ($dollars) and sometimes through properties.
These properties have been concealed in other people and the monies have been hidden.
While it is clear that PF was a corrupt party, it is more difficult for the Hakainde Hichilema led administration to prove these allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
This documentary seek to highlight some of the dark areas which investigative wings must look at as they pursue criminal activities under the PF administration.
To give a few details, here is a summary of how things worked between PF and some of the corrupt Contractors they connived with
On 30th May 2017 the Patriotic Front administration controversially signed a contract with China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation for the construction of the 321 km Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage road at a cost of $1.2 billion.
The contract sum was immediately dismissed as smelling of corruption by Hakainde Hichilema. There was also public outcry but then Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela in a ministerial statement heavily condemned then main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema for saying the true cost of the project was half its initial cost.
In total disregard to public outcry, the PF regime stubbornly went ahead to engage China Jiangxi.
Among key issues raised by the public is that the $1.2 billion was highly inflated and that much of the money would end up in the pockets of key government and party officials of the PF. Concerns were raised that PF was using China Jiangxi to defraud Zambians as there was no proper justification of heavily inflating the cost of the project from $600 million to $1.2 billion.
Secondly, the contractor China Jiangxi has been found to be a morally corrupt institution whose reputation is stained. This is against a background that, on January 3, 2014, the World Bank’s Suspension and Debarment Officer issued a Notice of Sanctions Proceedings against China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation, Mr. Zhu Hongfeng and Mr. Peter Lee pursuant to Section 4.0l (a) of the World Bank Sanctions Procedures, as adopted by the World Bank as of April 15, 2012.
The Statement of Accusations and Evidence – SAE prepared by the Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency and appended to the Notice contained accusation that the Respondents engaged in sanctionable practices in connection with Ghana West Africa Transport and Transit Facilitation Project. It contained the •evidence gathered in support of this accusation with the specific accusation made that China Jiangxi engaged in fraudulent practices by including false past experience documentation in a bid for a construction contract in Ghana, and by later submitting additional fraudulent documentation in support of the earlier-submitted past experience documentation.
To many concerned Zambians, it was against this background that they believed that the basis of relations between PF administration and China Jiangxi was corruption and intent to swindle Zambians.
It is after change of government from PF to UPND that people got know that indeed the China Jiangxi quotation of $1.2 billion for the construction of the 321 km Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage road was nothing but pure intent to defraud Zambians.
Minister of Transport Frank Tayali revealed that following the cancellation of the contract by his administration, there are bids for the same at half the price.
And it has been stated that China Jiangxi is part of the companies that have bid for as low as $500 million to do the same road it earlier quoted $1.2 billion under the corrupt accused PF.
Former Transport Minister William Harrington says the recent revelations by transport Minister Frank Tayali that the contractor engaged to construct the controversial Lusaka-Ndola duo carriage way has offered to construct the road at 50 percent lower than the original cost of 1.2 billion dollars smells corruption.
Harrington is not the only one who feels that way. Several other people in the civil society and involved in anti-corruption crusade have stated that it is clear China Jiangxi and the former ruling party the PF were bedfellows in corruption over the contract.
Further, multiple sources within PF have revealed that financing of party activities for the former ruling party was done through contractors by giving them contracts at inflated costs whereas, the added money found itself in the pockets of senior PF officials.
According to one senior party member of the PF who opted not to be named, China Jiangxi managing Director David Wei had an open path to the secretariat of former ruling party.
With the UPND administration seemingly having cordial relations with the West, China has been technically shelved. Upon assuming office, the UPND administration embarked on halting, reviewing and halting all mega contracts issued by the PF administration.
This move is seen as targeting Chinese contractors like China Jiangxi that enjoyed the monopoly of huge contracts during the PF, such as the another controversial Kenneth Kaunda International Airport upgrade at a cost of $369,235,359 without the Attorney General’s approval whatsoever.
At the moment, the former ruling party has continued to inculcate its relationship with the Chinese and it is believed that contractors such as China Jiangxi are bankrolling their costs for the numerous corrupt related cases as well as the upcoming convention where the former ruling party hopes to replace their leader Edgar Lungu and wage a political battle against the UPND in 2026.
From the controversial Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way and the upgrade of the KKIA, it remains unclear what role China Jiangxi and its managing Director David Wei played in the massive plunder that characterizes the PF legacy.
David Wei’s alleged continued relationship with PF and financing of their upcoming convention requiring K5 million, remains unknown.
SOURCE: NewsMakers