Smooth Movers hunt forgers
“WE are anxious to know those unscrupulous individuals who have faked a Mukula export permit using our name because they have tarnished our image, destroyed our business, and ridiculed us in the eyes of rightful thinking members of society.”
Smooth Movers and Freight Limited Managing Director Andrew Kabwe, told the Daily Nation yesterday that his company was looking forward to unmasking the people behind the forgery of an export permit which purportedly allowed them to export 30 containers of Mukula logs to China.
Mr Kabwe said it was unfortunate that some individuals could sink so low as to fake a permit even when the company was not involved in any timber business, adding that his company will not rest until it exposed those people because it had suffered injury to its reputation locally and internationally.
He said his company was an international entity involved in a clean removal and freight business and that it did not even have facilities to ferry Mukula logs outside the country and wondered what the motive of the people behind the lot was.
“We really want to know these people behind this forged document so that they are answerable for their actions. This is an international company that is involved in clean business. We don’t even know how a Mukula log looks like and it is unfortunate for someone to purport that we have been given a permit by the forestry department.
“Look at these trucks we have here. Do they look like they can be used for transporting Mukula? Our reputation has been injured and we are suffering loss as a result of this fake permit and we cannot let it go just like. We are an international company and mostly we deal with diplomats and as a result of this fake permit, I started receiving calls from all over as early as Sunday and this has a direct bearing and implication on us,” Mr. Kabwe said.
He said the only way forward for the company was to seek help from the police since they had reportedly arrested one of the people suspected to be behind the syndicate.
“We are hopeful that the police, who we understand are holding one of the suspects, will help us identify this person so that we know what route to take. We want to be helped to know who these people are so that they can answer to the questions that we have and explain why they decided to use our name,” he said.
The permit, which the Ministry of Lands has also described as fake, was purportedly issued by the forestry department on September 27, 2017, giving permission to Smooth Movers Company Limited to export 30 containers of Mukula logs valued at US$ 285,000 to China through the Chirundu border post.