THE case in which former President Rupiah Banda’s son Andrew has been linked to an Italian construction company—Fratelli Locci—has taken a new twist with the former President’s son admitting receiving a “payment” from the Italian company but denied the fact that the payment could have been a “kick-back”.
Mr. Banda, who spoke via phone from his New Delhi, India base also said he is willing to meet the police—whom he has apparently not met yet—regarding the issue as soon as he returns to Zambia from India.
“I am not afraid of the police. I will hand myself to them in broad daylight when I return because I am aware that they want to speak to me,” Mr. Banda said, adding, “I am also aware that the authorities have spoken to my daughter Ketiwe at Stanbic and that they have also spoken to my auntie Mrs Zekko about this matter in my absence.”
Mr. Banda, a diplomat, told the Daily Mail that his relationship with Fratelli Locci owned by Mr Antonelli Locci is “above board” and that he has known the company and owner since 2001.
“I can’t deny knowing Fratelli and receiving money from them because my small transportation company has done work for them and I have been paid for that, that’s how I know the company,” Mr. Banda said.
The diplomat, who also clarified that James is his older and not younger brother, regretted that efforts to reach him when the story broke proved futile as he could have answered the questions had James not refused to assist the Daily Mail with his contact number.
Andrew Banda joined the growing list of high-profile Zambians that have been linked to questionable deals, entered into during his father’s three-year administration, in addition to his younger brother Henry whom police are looking for right now.
The police could soon consider putting a reward on Henry’s head, said Mr. Rae Hamoonga, the acting police spokesperson, in an interview yesterday.
“We have not reached a stage where we must place a reward on Mr. Banda’s head yet,” Mr. Hamoonga said. “What we have done is that we have intensified our search for him so far.”
The Daily Mail yesterday carried a story linking Andrew Banda to a 2 percent payment from Fratelli who have told law enforcement agencies that they made the payment out to Mr. Banda’s company AB Logistics under pressure from the diplomat after he allegedly threatened he would terminate the K300 billion Pedicle Road contract.
At press time, the Daily Mail could not reach Fratelli but the company lawyer Overs Banda, former Local Government Permanent Secretary called the newspaper and said he “doubted” whether Fratelli had been paid by the Road Development Agency.
“If they had been paid any percentage, I would also have been paid as the lawyer, so I don’t think they have been paid just yet hence the reason they have not even moved on site,” Mr. Banda said.
But Daily Mail investigations show that Fratelli has already been written a warning letter for failing to be on site five months after they were awarded the contract that runs into billions, to the Road Development Agency’s dismay.
The standard procedure at RDA is to pay a contracted company between 10 to 15 percent of the quoted amount for a job as a down payment in all contracts and this must apply to Fratelli, contrary to Mr. Banda’s view.
Mr. Banda also felt he was receiving “negative media attention” just through mere association because “Henry and James are my brothers, which I think is not fair because I am an individual family member.”
President Sata has embarked on an anti-graft fight that has sucked various former leaders such as Petauke legislator Dora Siliya, former Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane and former Vice-President George Kunda.
The President has said no amount of “witch-hunt” or “retribution” cries shall slow his anti-graft fight as he tries to reduce poverty levels and create jobs in a country where some 65 percent of the population live in abject poverty, despite vast mineral wealth.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Iza kunyokola njala mu jele!!!
this man is not even an MMD sympathizer and looks to be the only honest child of atate a Bwezi
“Henry and James are my brothers, which I think is not fair because I am an individual family member.”
Can the investigating whins work this man he seems he wants to cooparate.
This is another Anthony mukwita lies in the daily mail, Andrew never received the two billion and has nev been warned and cautioned by police, this is a disgrace to journalism by this playboy who has been made editor of such a big publication
I seem to remember that andrrew did speak against MMD last year and he has been a business person for years! This kind of reporting without digging deep is becoming very disturbing just creating sensational stories. We want the truth get facts…all these stories that are reported these days just die a quiet death after being headlines for days it goes quiet.
Talk is cheap
“father, wife and children jailed for corruption” reads the daily mail headline. rb and children are theves and those that defend them are accomplices period.
Sata’s Daily Mail, Sata’s Times, Sata’s Post of course everything is horrible
THIS GUY IS A FOOL
The goodness with Zambians is that they easily forget and move on.Just recently Liato’s root was unearthed.No information is available as to what has happened.Even all this will be forgeten and at rate at which this story are coming out, will soon on to new one as time goes on.
It won’t be forgotten as long as Mutembo is there!
no. 7 are you serious abt yo comment . wen you want to comment on something plz b realistic b4 say something horrible : u are horrible yoself
Number 10, what makes u think that No. 7 is not serious? Soon your eyes will be opened
#7 is right .we condemned the MMD that they controled the media.what do we see today!From the public to the private media even the Post everything is PF.Civil Servants,labour Leaders must be PF cardres and so must be every zambian.At least the MMD was tolerant to people that they were able to express ther views not in this one man show comedy
Waste of time, when are we going to see PF work on unemployment ?
All of them are lying, Banda says he ways given while the other man says they paid the 2billion becoz they were being threatened. Then Banda goes on to lie that he has known fratelli for many yrs,meaning they are friends. So why threaten your friend whom you have known for many years. Then, why has he been in hiding all this time. The police have been appealing to people for his wareabout and he knows beacuse he reads Zambian papers every day on internet.Why did he contact the police. BIG THIEF
Andrew Banda should just turn state witness against these Italian criminals! Those of you that have bothered to even go to these people’s offices would agree that they do not even have equipment to handle even the few jobs they have been given. If there should be any foreign crooks to be locked up in Zambia, these should be the first ones. They really believed that Zambians are stupid who could pay money for no work done. If there is an ACC or DEC officer here who would like information about these Italian crooks, please reply to this message and give the e-mail address, will give you some hints.
we have a little of information and visited their offices behind manda hill but feel free to give us more. either call us(DEC) on 0211255114 and ask for intel dept or send me an email at [email protected]
antony mukwita must b fired b 4 daily mail runs broke due 2 law suits.
So which prison do those convicted by the media go to?
How is this for *****ic reporting: ‘Mr. Banda also felt he was receiving “negative media attention” just through mere association because “Henry and James are my brothers, which I think is not fair because I am an individual family member.” This reference was made immediately after quoting Mr Overs Banda, the lawyer. SO MR DIMWIT EDITOR, IS IT OVERS BANDA OR ANDREW BANDA WHO IS A BROTHER TO HENRY AND JAMES BANDA???!! OR ARE THEY ALL BROTHERS?
Development,development,development,we are getting tired!They fight against corruption is life long and so the other issues !
#12 Kwekwe, I thought the story says Andrew is a diplomat based in New Delhi. So, has he been in hiding or working for the mission in India and only got to react to media allegations now? While I agree that the RB CURBs were nichekelekos nangula ba pompwe, this Andrew appears straight to me.
Firstly President Sata is used to lies; he has never embraced the truth. When a head of state is known for falsehoods and distortions, what can people expect from such a government? The problem with PF government is that they have put corruption fight into compartments and those compartments are labelled appropriately. Those labelled Rupiah banda and family should be opened and fought vigorously but those labelled nchito(Current DPP), chungu, Sebastian zulu should be kept closed until these people differ with the state. This is utter nonsense and a classic corruption canard.
Zambians are/will endure this phase of reign for years to come. The most disheartening episode is to experience style of governance where state is everthing including the media. This we thought had passed over especially that PF in opposition then foufgt against it, but today they are getting worse than what they fought against. Its a tragedy to go backwards instead of progressing.
I am not in Zambia but I hear of late the public media has changed a lot – I hear even G Kunda has space on ZNBC
We are back to square one. This is Mr Sata’s modus operandi. He leaks information to the press to start an uproar. It was Mr Sata who leaked information about Chiluba as a thief and the 3rd term bid. Now he is doing the same about RB’s family in order to arouse public anger even before facts are known. This is expected of the Police. It is a trick that the police use to make witnesses come forward and those who know something to be emboldened. This is what Sikota SC calls ‘fishing.’
The Daily Mail has become full of shit. I do not know if Zambia Police are acting in good faith by lying about Henry Banda. As far as Henry is concerned, he has not been summoned to the police station. The only thing is the propaganda in the Daily Mail suggesting he is on the run. From what when he has not been summoned. Can the police produce a summons for Henry. How come only the Daily Mail seem to kbnow about this. Even the Post that digs deeper does not know. This Anthony guy is running down the daily mail and making the president and his appointed team look bad. Let him be factual in his reporting and not based on speculation or hallucination.
I am liking it now. Let all those who turned our country into their own farm be jailed. Let Andrew come and clear his name. If he has no case , he will be released but from the look of things and going by his language, he was chekelako ka K2 billion by the notorious italian. Wapya Munzi guys. Lets Sata….chase these thieves.
what has the media done to be haragued like this? yes we at one time stopped reading the public media in preferance to the private ones. but now, things have changed. those attacking the media are either frustrated for the defeat and are not covered or are upnd (useless party of nonentities and dunderheads) who bragged that they will win the presidency with or without the media. foolish indeed.
The media is freed .. Kunda is always seen on ZNBC rantings, what can you tell us you thieves. We know that you want to frastrate the fight against your inspid corruption. But it will not work. You wll cry and cry but Zambians will not have any symphathy for you thieves. You have killed many a Zambian by your theft. This is just a bignning…we will chase you till the conclusion of this corrupt race. Wapya Munzi .
ba Andrew just surrender what you stole and u will be forgiven!
Andrew is a straight forward guy and is above board. This is a guy who refused to lick FTJ’s boots and got fired as First Secretary in Canada. He openly advised his father and the MMD that there was no way they were going to win the elections as long as they carried on with their excesses and insenstivities to the people. He is not a money grabber and as has been rightly blogged by others, he will be vindicated.
Thanks for the vote of confidence guys, but I did accept a kick-back as I have already admitted. This was illegal and criminal as the work in question was and is on behalf of the Zambian people and not myself or my beneficiaries. I shall report to ZP and seek the way forward, part of which is returning the money.
I will be happy to assist in any other criminal investigations that my family are involved in.
Cheers.
Andrew should tell us the truth. Who can give you that kind of money for free and in this case from an italian? Niboza iwe.You received it in exchange for a favour. How many of us have given that kind of money for free.
The Bandas?? in three year, have really made moner & involved in dirty deals, My Small transport business to be paid in Billions?? wow easy money in Zambia, better come back to Zade. All this cash you have made what good did you do to our poor societies?? part of your social responsibility. very selfish family indeed.
Ni mwana wa Bwezani; Show me the fruit and i know which tree it comes from!! Henry, Nenani, James the difference is the same; all dodgy looters and plunders who used their fathers position of previlege to advantage. Get the buggers! The Italian company has not put a pick in the ground five months after receiving advance payment. This a mafia company that Andrew brought to Zambia.
All you commenting negative against what is being done vis-a-vis corruption probably are out of touch with reality or dont live in Zambia. Why do you think the MMD was voted out of power? ANS: Because their corruption was even known by children so just keep quiet untill after court proceedings, you know these corruptions cases are complicated these guys try as much as possible to hide their tracks. Do you know what it means to be a civil servant not having been paid just settling allowance for 11 years and your neighbour a grade 12 drop out is building a mansion just because her boyfriends father is a minister ? GOD BLESS ZAMBIA
Rubbish. If this story or allegations proves true, I see no reaso why this ***** shouldn’t be jailed.
It’s the venomous hatred that’s coming from all the corners of Zambia that scares me. After independence, we wanted freedom. After freedom, we wanted multipartism. After multipartism, some opted for tribalism. And now emancipation, we want to shut down the PF govm and at the same time kill anyone who does not believe in the Barotse Agreement and the fight against corruption. We cannot have it all as humans. We know corruption was more predominant in 3 years than the history of the country. We know tribalism has only become an issue in recent years. Hell is not something we should yearn to experience for Rwanda and Burundi started like this. We all zambians first, so lets agree to disgree but be zambian enough to accept we all belong to only One Zambia and One Nation.
Andrew Banda BIG NOSE, like father like son.
Go to Zambia and sortout issues Andyyyy!
A round of applause for your article post.Thanks Again. Want more.
Zambia will never develop if criminals will be allowed to say what they want or do. who is honest in today’s leadership in our country? MMD lived to their Mximum, carders own Mansions and mult plots of land. President M.C. Sata should just concertrate on quality presidential leadership. it seems to me there’s no leadership in the country today, because No one including the so called president has shown the people of zambia what leadership can do. do not decrease employment, increase. Give the electorates what you promised. you are failing to do best and only the best to benefit the people who put you in power from around the country. development is not arresting people, prove them guilty and sentence. tax payers money is at risk in your hands Mr. president.