By Esther Adeyanju, @Whurmie
The Civil Society Network against Corruption (CSNAC) has demanded for the retrieval of 1million dollars from Ex-Zambian president, Rupiah Banda resulted from the assistance offered to Zambia under late president Musa Yaradua’s administration, in her state of oil shortages and development under bilateral agreement with the allocation of crude oil to the country on favorable terms through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The agreement said was reached in principle in 2008 with the final offer letter issued by crude oil market division of NNPC on 21st March 2011 for a renewable one year NNPC crude oil contract for 20,000 barrels per day effective for 1st May 2011.
Chairman of CSNAC, Olanrewaju Suraju added that between August 2011 and April 2012, four cargos of 3,790,706 barrels of crude oil with a networth of $438,887,268.83 was paid and lifted on behalf of the Zambian government by the appointed Nigerian Energy company authorised by the Zambian government to trade on their behalf.
It was added that the ex-president’s son in connivance with his father hurriedly registered a company called IEXORA international limited in HongKong and a Barleys bank account in Singapore in which the proceeds of the oil sales was made into.
He added that the ex-zambian president’s son, Henry Banda operated a fake email of Elwood fairbanks in the deal over which one million dollars meant for Zambia’s development was diverted into the fraudulently account opened by Banda and his son.
In view of Zambian government’s inability to retrieve the proceed,CSNAC in its petition thus requested that a directive be made to the anti-corruption agencies, the Ministry of Justice and Foreign affairs to demand from the Zambian government evidence of permittance of profit from that allocation to their federation account or any proof of utilisation of the fund in public interest.
Suraju also added that EFCC should be directed to extract material evidence and information from the sacked EFCC in furtherance of establishing illegal diversion of the funds by Banda.
In addition,he said that the Singaporean government through the embassy in Nigeria should be contacted for the investigation into IEXORA’s registration, it’s bank account and it’s operation to ensure such money laundering deals are discouraged.
He also stated that Nigeria should launch an official request for the refund of the money if the Zambian government are unable to provide concrete and convincing evidence on the utilisation of profits derived from the transaction.
Furthermore, a money laundering and fraudulent diversion of public fund action be instituted against Banda, his son and the Nigerian partner if the Zambian government is unable to provide the fund as requested.
“Crimes against Nigeria under previous regimes were not limited to Nationals and public office holders. Foreigners, in collaboration with public office holders, swindled the country, plunder our resources and openly stole our collective patrimony with relish.”
