Nawakwi reveals irregular transactions

FORMER Finance Minister, Edith Nawakwi has asked UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema to explain himself in the privatisation of companies particularly the sale of Intercontinental, liquidation of Lima Bank whose assets were more than its debt and has questioned the disappearance of $35 million payment for Ramcoz.

Ms Nawakwi has challenged Mr Hichilema to answer all these questions. Ms Nawakwi was speaking during an interview on Hot FM yesterday.

The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president also said Mr Hichilema is a ruthless, violent and greedy man determined to obtain wealth at all cost.

However, when challenged to counter Ms Nawakwi’s allegations, Mr Hichilema accused the FDD leader of having a crush on him, a view which was immediately splashed and reproduced on social media and internet blogs such as Mwebantu.

Ms Nawakwi said Mr Hichilema benefitted from the privatisation of State-owned assets as a consultant and ended up owning many assets he was entrusted to sell such as those belonging to Lima Bank.

She said he obtained the house belonging to Lima Bank situated on Serval Road, Kabulonga, from Lima Bank which he was privatising.

She said Mr Hichilema also obtained state ranches that he was tasked to sell.

Ms Nawakwi said Musio-O-Tunya Intercontinental Hotel was sold by Mr Hichilema at US$6 million, when it was valued at more than US$26 million at the time.

She questioned how Mr Hichilema became a board member and part owner of Sun International which bought Intercontinental Hotel at a giveaway price.

“As receiver manager of RAM

COZ, Mr Hichilema needed to explain what they did with the $35 million for the sale. He was entrusted with state power, he will be like King Ahab who killed a peasant, Naboth, over his own piece of land,” said Ms Nawakwi

Ms Nawakwi said it was on record that Mr Hichilema had been getting land, grabbing land from ordinary people including one suffering a stroke.

She claimed Mr Hichilema was unfit to lead the country as he lacked humility and regarded everybody else with contempt.

Ms Nawakwi said as former Finance Minister, she knows that Mr Hichilema had a duty to explain to Zambians, his alleged “corrupt role” in the privatisation process that earned him questionable wealth.