By Patson Chilemba
The Zambia police service has written the Ministry of Mines on the ongoing investigations about the alleged fraudulent acquisition of the mines which Anglo American purchased at $14.5 million.
In a letter dated September 27, 2023, to the Director, Mining Cadastre, Ministry of Mines and seen by Daily Revelation, police continued pursuing the matter despite being ignored by suspects said to have deep roots to State House, who have ignored the summons sent to them earlier [pp-logged-users] in September.
In the letter to the Mining Cadastre, Officer In charge, Lusaka Division Fraud and Financial Investigations Unit Mumbula, police told the Ministry of Mines that they were investigating a case of fraud, and requested that they be provided with the documents in order to conclude the investigations.
“RE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO ZAMSORT LIMITED AND HANDA RESOURCES UNDER LICENCE NUMBER 19906-HQ-LEL. The above subject matter refers. Lusaka Division Fraud and Financial Investigations Unit is investigating the case of Forgery and uttering False Document 357 and 352 Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia in which Male Kelvin Vlahakas of Olympia Park also a shareholder at Zamsort Limited who complained on behalf of the company that some known persons are alleged to have forged the application for consent to transfer a mining right, mineral processing from Zamsort Limited to Handa Resources,” the letter read in part. “He further alleged that they forged the sale agreement between Zamsort Limited and Handa Resources and the said documents were presented at your institution. We therefore request your office to avail us with the said documents in order for us to conclude our investigations. Your cooperation will be highly appreciated.”
The letter indicates that it was received at the Mining cadastre on September 29, 2023.
The police had earlier sent summons to Nicholas Von Shirnding and Rajendrakumar Patel to appear before the Anti-Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit on September 22, 2023, the summons which are said to have been ignored.
Daily Revelation contacted the officer, Alick Phiri, who sent the callouts to find out why the people he summoned have not showed up and why the police has not taken the initiative to round them up.
Responding, Phiri said: “I think this is a wrong channel for you to get information, probably you know where I am found and I have got my supervisors. So the best you can do is tomorrow is Monday, come through you talk to my supervisor then you would get more information on that. For now I can’t divulge any information because I don’t know the person I am talking to. So the best is you know where I am found, come to the office you see my supervisor then you get more information for that. Come to the Office I am found at Central Police.”
Details are that Anglo American PLC, which is known to have serious connections with State House has bought a fraudulently obtained mine from Arc Minerals and Handa Resources Ltd, with those implicated being individuals linked to the Zambian government operating under the names Handa Resources, Zaco Investments and Afrimin Resources, which are all subsidiaries of ARC Minerals (ARN.L) over fraudulent practices, including the illegal transfer of exploration licences and collaborating or inducing public officers to approve the grant of unlawful transfers.
Anglo-American PLC (ALL.L, NGLOY, AGL.JO) made initial payment of $3.5 million out of the total cash payment of $14.5 million to Arc Minerals’ subsidiary Umico Minerala Ltd as announced by Arc Minerals executive chairman Nick Von Schirnding on November 10, 2023 in the UK’s Regulatory News Services (RNS), and that the agreement includes a further investment of $90 million by Anglo America in the three licences which have been unlawfully granted contrary to sections 22(3)(e), 66(1), (2), (6) and 72(1) of the Mines and Minerals Development Act no.11 of 2015.
The payments have been made and transactions concluded despite ongoing police investigations and High Court proceedings under Judges Bonaventure Mbewe (Cause no. 2016/HPC/0509) and Charles Zulu (cause no. 2023/HP/1720).
“It’s clear that some powerful individuals at the Ministry of Mines have disregarded the police investigations and the high Court proceedings and transferred the Majority Shareholding of Handa Resources, Zaco Investments and Afrimin Resources to Anglo American Corporation PLC,” sources said.
Documents obtained from the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) shows that Anglo is now the majority shareholder in Handa Resources, Afrimin Resources and Zaco investment, with Handa appointing renowned Zambian based in South Africa, ex-chairman and chief executive of Anglo America Norman Mbazima as director and Arc Minerals retaining Valentine Chitalu at the London Board.
The other new board member of Handa Resources is Anglo American country manager Adriana Blesa who has replaced Lt Gen Sande Lageni Kayumba.
Sources have told Daily Revelation that Schirnding and his accomplice Rajendra Patel purported to be representatives of the transferor, Zamsort when in fact not, have ignored police call outs which were served on them because of alleged protection from powerful forces in government and the “strength of the buyer Anglo-American” which controls leaders in most third world countries.
The $3.5 million Anglo American, a global player in the global mining, is said to have been done through an offshore proxy firm of Arc Minerals called Umico Mineral Limited despite the ongoing court proceedings and active matters before the country’s investigative wings, with Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and Secretary to Treasury Felix Nkulukusa being challenged to investigate such transactions as they were some of the main reasons why the Kwacha had depreciated to shambolic levels of almost K25 to US$1.
FDD leader Edith Nawakwi said police are scared to move in on the alleged fraudsters in the purchase of the fraudulently obtained mines by Anglo American because they are Hakainde’s symbiotic friends, who bankrolled his campaigns.[/pp-logged-users]
