The Financial Intelligence Centre recently released a list of names, along with the announcement of a mass money laundering scheme going on in the country. This mass money laundering scheme is expected to have erased more than USD 1.5 billion worth of taxpayer’s money, a sum which will be very difficult to compensate in the coming years.
The list shared the names of top lawyers, legal counsellors, government contractors and even some ministers who have been accused of laundering money worth millions. Further investigation also revealed that the government contractors who received huge sums of cash deposits in their personal bank accounts were not even tax registered. Therefore, the FIC experts are suggesting that this criminal act of money laundering is much deeper that their earlier anticipation. Another investigation revealed that majority of these bank transactions was highly active during specific unethical events such as trial of Rupaih Banda for the illegal Nigerian Deal, illegal elections and the presidential petition. These are not just coincidences and clearly indicate the association of these lawyers and legal counsellors to the illegal activities. These activities also indicate the level of penetration of corruption and bribes in the Zambian government.
Some of the top names in the list were of Sakwiba Sikota and Masozi M. Banda. Banda is a lawyer working with the Avic International, a law firm. On the other has, Sakwiba Sikota is the long term associate of the Ventriglias, the infamous family accused of illegally taking Zambezi Portland Cement from Dr. Rajan Mahtani, its real owner, and turning it into ruins.
The Zambian government, now that they have all sorts of proof, should immediately start taking actions.
The list shared the names of top lawyers, legal counsellors, government contractors and even some ministers who have been accused of laundering money worth millions. Further investigation also revealed that the government contractors who received huge sums of cash deposits in their personal bank accounts were not even tax registered. Therefore, the FIC experts are suggesting that this criminal act of money laundering is much deeper that their earlier anticipation. Another investigation revealed that majority of these bank transactions was highly active during specific unethical events such as trial of Rupaih Banda for the illegal Nigerian Deal, illegal elections and the presidential petition. These are not just coincidences and clearly indicate the association of these lawyers and legal counsellors to the illegal activities. These activities also indicate the level of penetration of corruption and bribes in the Zambian government.
Some of the top names in the list were of Sakwiba Sikota and Masozi M. Banda. Banda is a lawyer working with the Avic International, a law firm. On the other has, Sakwiba Sikota is the long term associate of the Ventriglias, the infamous family accused of illegally taking Zambezi Portland Cement from Dr. Rajan Mahtani, its real owner, and turning it into ruins.
The Zambian government, now that they have all sorts of proof, should immediately start taking actions.