Categories: Stories

Mugabe ally loses EU sanctions compensation case

74      Next, the Council and the Commission rely on the reports of 8 October 2002 and 15 October 2003 (see paragraphs 57 and 59 above).

75      It is apparent from the report of 8 October 2002 that, notwithstanding a diminishing in the intensity of the conflicts involving seven African armies within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, certain groups linked to the armed forces of the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Zimbabwe exercised economic control over certain areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and appropriated revenue from the extraction of diamonds, cobalt, copper and germanium under the pretext, for example, in the case of the Republic of Zimbabwe, of payment for security services provided by that State’s armed forces to the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That exploitation network, which, according to the report, involves Congolese and Zimbabwean politicians and government officials and businessmen, succeeded in transferring from the Congolese public sector ownership in mineral deposits with a value of at least 5 million US dollars (USD) over a period of three years. In that context, according to the report, the first applicant had the right to exploit, via Tremalt Ltd, a company he represents, rights in deposits held as concessionaire by Générale des carrières et des mines (Gécamines), a Congolese public company. Those deposits comprised 2 700 000 t of copper and 325 000 t of cobalt and the right to exploit them was granted for 25 years. The value of those deposits is estimated at more than USD 1 billion, the first applicant having paid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo only USD 400 000 for those rights. Tremalt participated in the operation in question through a joint venture with Kababankola Mining Company Sprl, in which Tremalt had an 80% share to Gécamine’s 20%, though the latter derived no tangible benefit from that operation. The Panel of Experts states that it has in its possession the confidential tripartite profit sharing agreement relating to the operation in question. Under that agreement, Tremalt retained 32% of the net profits, the remaining 68% being shared equally by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Zimbabwe. Under that agreement, which was the subject of a memorandum from the Zimbabwe Defence Minister to President Mugabe in August 2002, Tremalt undertook to supply the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Zimbabwe with motor vehicles, trucks, buses and cash payments as necessary, the cost of so doing being deducted from the two countries’ profit share. Furthermore, Tremalt and the armed forces of the Republic of Zimbabwe established a forum ‘to look after the interests of the Zimbabweans’, consisting of a Zimbabwean General, Brigadier and Air Commodore, the first applicant and two other members of the Board of Kababankola Mining Company. The Panel of Experts refers to certain information relating to the exploitation of the deposits in question prior to the transfer to Tremalt. It also refers to the view of mining industry experts that Tremalt’s claim that it suffered significant losses between February 2001 and July 2002 lacks credibility.

76      Furthermore, according to the report of 8 October 2002, through his companies Aviation Consultancy Services and Raceview Enterprises, the first applicant was a major supplier of spare parts for military aircraft, camouflage cloth, batteries, fuels and lubricating oils, boots and rations to the Zimbabwean armed forces.

Continued next page

(2976 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 9:08 am

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Chamisa says he is not quitting politics

Former Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa, who only three days ago said he…

March 1, 2024

Chamisa says I have no association with any colour, political party or movement

Former Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa says he has no association with any…

February 29, 2024

Zimbabwe inflation hits six-month high as currency plunges

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate jumped to its highest level in six months as the local dollar…

February 29, 2024

Why Zimbabwe failed to save three old power plants

Zimbabwe is shutting down three thermal power stations, with a combined installed capacity of 240MW,…

February 27, 2024

How a shadowy takeover decimated Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party

When an obscure Zimbabwean politician announced a takeover of the country’s biggest opposition party last…

February 23, 2024

Tshabangu wins again as Supreme Court throws out appeal by recalled CCC MPs

Self-proclaimed interim secretary-general of the Citizens Coalition for Change Sengezo Tshabangu scored another victory today…

February 22, 2024