I am writing to you again, because of your statements to the Ugandan parents who isn’t apparently feeding their kids. Because this is epidemic and systemic default from your mans long-term government and his lack of integrity and also lack of building resilient institutions. Because all has to go through your husband, Yoweri. Therefore, he can write a letter and reappoint people your firing. Since he is the head, not only of the household, but also the Republic.
However, that is knowledge you already knew, Janet. That is why this is insulting, what you said in a Press Briefing today:
I find it selfish of you to single people out and to put everyone in one bracket. When you know the state of the budget, the misuse of government funds, the lack of funds for salaries for civil servants and teachers. The own ministry your running is controlling dozens upon dozens of depleted schools and lack of accountability. Therefore, you should be careful addressing others. When your not the perfect princess you want to be.
Janet, it is the government fault, that there are lack of jobs, lack of opportunities for the graduates from college and university and all the other compromised situations that your government is in control off. You should fix government, before blaming the poor for lack structure and lack of giving way. This belittling the poor, because you have the State House and all the riches of the world. Your entitled to be queen, while others struggle from hand to mouth. Not like the ones who are poor is deciding they don’t want to give food to their kids. But they have no option, because of the systems your government put in place or didn’t care about. Your reckless behavior, your vultures and your thieves are the reason for this poverty.
You Janet and the whole royal cabinet. Should look into yourselves, all your activities and all your policies, all the transactions and all the unaccountable funds and ask yourself. Did you do enough? Did you? Did you really do enough?
When one your watch there is 8 million Ugandans who cannot afford three meals a day, that is your fault and your mistake. That isn’t only the parents. Some parents are bad and do bad with the money. But I doubt that 8 million are drinking, getting boozed up beyond intelligence and getting pedicure. Lets that be clear. Unless, the NRM has configured the stats on that too.
This is disgraceful, that you did this and mocked this people. Instead of figuring out ways of making it better for 8 million Ugandans. You are lecturing them and blaming them, calling them alcoholics and wasting money on luxurious items. That is by the way rich coming from you, as your administration is overspending on the State House and on your family. The wealth and the funds which is around the President is enormous and vast.
Mrs. Janet, there are so much you can do with your power and influence, but you have decided not to care. Your acting as a lecturer, but your actions are lacking any moral substance. If you did care and if your husband cared. There wouldn’t be 8 million in poverty and lacking three meals a day in the Republic. Your family and your husband has had three decades to fix this. Apparently, you haven’t tried.
8 millions are not alcoholics. That is impossible.
Step your game up. Act within reason and be rational. Not demean them, because your responsible, not only for the Ministry of Education and Sports, but for what your bed-mate is doing too.
I wonder, as I read today that Janet Museveni, the Minister for Education and Sports was honoured with the dutiful award from the Buganda Leaders Caucus? I wonder at what rate and has she done?
Other than pissing off Stella Nyanzi, not being able to mediate in the sex-for-marks saga at Makerere, neither being there when the students was protesting the added fees. Neither being vocal when the husband was saying that public schools and the Universal Primary Education was crap. Still, with all of that in mind, the BLC still saw it fit to give her the honour. I think the name and her ties to the President is more important, than her actual achievements. Because, there is little or mediocre performance, also thin-skinned person who expected to be praised. Just like the BLC have done now.
If the minister was serious, why isn’t there any follow-up on the promises of building stadiums and others. Like the Gold Medalists and the Olympic winners are supposed to get patronage and salaries by the state, because of the glory they have done on behalf of the state. But, nah, that is just wishful thinking and lack of allocations.
To give her an award is nonsense, it is because of patronage, not because of her services, that is lie. A giant lie, the big giant elephant in the room and it is farting all over the place. We all know that and to say otherwise is to be foolish. We know and they know.
Janet Museveni the best Minister in the Cabinet? Really? Not because of her relation and her ties to the President. Get out of here. What real impact has she done? Other than telling parents to pack the kids with good food before going to school and secure the roads for the kids? What has she done that is profound and significant?
Because there aren’t really any impact or change, the lack of transparency and accountability is clear, as Up-Country the schools are depleted and falling apart. Even a little wind and the walls would shake, the lack of planning and resources are staggering, the lack of salaries and double-jobs for teachers are a huge problem. So to give her the award by the BLC is proper nonsense and waste of time.
Therefore, I will not write anymore, I don’t care about the leopards anus or his wife, but she doesn’t deserve this award. She don’t, not that the bar is high in the NRM government, but this is just foolish. It’s the UPDF that does the work when needed, so if there was any who deliver anything. It’s the Ministry of Defence, not that, it is something I want to say loud, but hey, at least they do something. They act upon their mandate and deliver, even if it is cruel and is insane. They still deliver within the SACCOs, Operation Wealth Creation, Delivering Mosquito nets, fighting army-worms and whatnot. They have results of some kind. The Ministry of Education and Sports, not so much. Peace.
Again, the investor and mineral licensing powerhouse in the Democratic Republic Congo, Dan Gertler is even more under fire after the revelations of his illicit trade during the recent years. Now, the formula and the amount of cash he gets from the foreign mineral extraction companies are paying for their passage to him. This as the deals between Getler and Kinshasa authorities are left in the dark. Whatever deal they have, certainly Getler is earning fortunes without doing more, than being connected to the Joseph Kabila government.
This report shows important facts and also bring certainties of the assumed fortunes made by Gertler, even as he is sanctioned and his corporations. Clearly, the mineral extraction is profitable in the midst of insecurity and civilian despair in the republic. While the businesses and the affiliates are eating, the public are fleeing militias and the army itself. The state is not serving the public, but the companies and the persons who has secret deals with the government. It is vicious and the international community let them, even as it is sanctioned, the acts are still appearing and has the ability to earn on it.
“Based on a number of assumptions, Resource Matters estimates the royalties to the Gertler-affiliated companies can be expected to amount to about $110 million for 2018 and nearly $100 million for 2019. This means that Gertler risks losing about $270,000 in revenue from Glencore’s operations per day. That is nearly twice as much as the world’s best paid soccer player, Lionel Messi, makes at Barcelona” (Resource Matters, P: 6, 2018).
“Glencore therefore has to balance the risk of increased pressure in Congo versus the risk of ending up on the U.S. sanctions list. This means that the royalty payments constitute a significant risk, whether they stop or continue. Investors should be able to know how Glencore will deal with this going forward. U.K anti-corruption organization Global Witness has repeatedly lamented the opacity of Glencore’s royalty payments to Gertler’s companies and called for better disclosure” (Resource Matters, P: 8, 2018).
“This conclusion was somewhat hasty. Gertler’s gold companies do not explicitly feature on the sanctions list, but that in itself does not matter. Under the U.S. Treasury’s so-called 50%-rule, any company owned at least 50% by a sanctioned entity is considered, per se, sanctioned because it is deemed to be “blocked property” of the sanctioned person. Both Moku Goldmines and Société Minière de Moku-Beverendi are at least 50% owned by Fleurette, a sanctioned entity, and should be considered sanctioned, too. In addition, the fact that no payments are made to Gertler does not shield Randgold from the risk of being sanctioned. The U.S. Treasury could qualify Randgold’s exploration activities at Moku-Beverendi as ‘material support’ to a sanctioned entity and impose sanctions on Randgold” (Resource Matters, P: 9, 2018).
Gertler might be in hot-water and the Kabila government might have decisions to make concerning their alliance. Still, the trades and contracts has been made, if the Kabila government suspend and revoke it, they might have to pay a settlement. While wait for a new company or middle-man to secure a grand deal for the licensing. We can question if the loyalty will be there, as long as the sanctions might hit the companies who works with Gertler. Because, they do not want to lose the profitable and secure delivery of the cobalt and other minerals in the Republic.
Surely, Getler don’t want to miss his winning ways and his double earnings of Messi. He want it and doesn’t care about how. Getler just continue to score and get contracts, which makes his giant fortune. It is by the blessing of his connections in Kinshasa. Peace.
Reference:
Resource Matters – ‘The Global Magnitsky – Effect How will U.S. sanctions against Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler affect the DR Congo’s extractive sector?” (February 2018).
“Just because you’re offended, doesn’t mean you’re right.”– Ricky Gervais
Apparently the Leopards Anus is mad or crazy, or his ordered to be offended by the civil servant, the lecturer at Makerere Dr. Stella Nyanzi, as the First Lady Janet Museveni has ordered her husband who speed dialed Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, so the case could move forward and the charges could be put. Therefore, the Police is a useful tool for the State House and the Presidential couple, who cannot manage to live with vocal voices anymore. They so fragile and pale leaders who are charging citizens for writing “buttocks”.
But in not to long ago, the President himself on the Mbale State Lodge in December 2015 said this: “If you go and put your finger in the anus of a leopard. You are in trouble, you are in trouble. Ho! Ho! I cant believe how people could do so. NRM?, you attack NRM people in Uganda here?! If it is in South Sudan or Kenya, yes we may have some problems. But in Uganda here?! Where do go? Where do you go?! So there will be no problem here. Those people made a big mistake, those individuals and those children are going to regret. And whoever sent them will also regret if we come with evidence we shall go for him or her – the one who said ‘you go and beat them’”.
So when he call himself the Leopards Anus, why charge an academic person for buttocks!
Dr. Stella Nyanzi Particular of the Offence was this: “Stella Nyanzi on the 28th January 2017 at the Kampala District or thereabout used a computer to post on her facebook page “Stella Nyanzi” wherein she made a suggestion or proposal referring His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni amongst others “a Pair of Buttocks” which Suggestion/Proposal is obscene or Indecent” (Uganda Police Force – CID Headquarters – E/79/2017 – 23.03.2017).
The yellow movement are like minions of Museveni now, following orders blindly and using the Police to silent the dissidents to levels that are obscene. That the NRM and Museveni cannot handle to be questioned by a Makerere lecturer is insane, but also the state of affairs. The fragile little minister and his first family who cannot handle buttocks.
They have with age become weak at heart and soft as statues on pedestals, as they cannot be moved or touched, because if you do so. They might break and go into a million pieces. That the President and his First Lady is so fragile, that a word means ass and meaning the behind makes someone a criminal. Proves how little value their government and their rule is. That the NRM and their President cannot manage to be described as a buttocks, but calls himself as a big-man the “Leopards Anus”. Proves the double standard and the double legality, as buttocks is seen as obscene, but the Anus is OKAY.
The little man in charge of Uganda and his wife doesn’t have courage or strength anymore. They should be farmers and under the banana-trees, not run a republic when a buttocks comment is to much to handle. These leaders just control and micro-manage, nor actually run it. That President Museveni has to charge Dr. Nyanzi over that, show’s how tiny his mind is and how marginal understanding of criticism are.
“One popular new plastic surgery technique is called lip grafting, or “fat recycling” wherein fat cells are removed from one part of your body that is too large, such as your buttocks, and injected into your lips; people will then be literally kissing ass.” – David Barry
Well, David Barry has a point, because the reason why Dr. Nyanzi is in a situation is like this because the President is used to ass kissers who praise all his activities. Therefore, that he was pushing forward with the charge on “buttocks” proves that he has lost touch with reality. That President Museveni and his family are now ruining the republic. Not that this is news, but the effects of his measures now doesn’t makes sense. That his government structure or policies are now so draconian.
That the man who called himself Leopard Anus should have more serious charges against a citizen if he was offended. Surely, the other opposition like Beti Kamya even said he had no heart. I don’t know what is more offensive, been called heartless or an ass. An ass is subjective that your doing dirt, but if you have no heart, than your not caring or careless in your acts as a person. Nevertheless, Kamya is a State Minister and Dr. Nyanzi is behind bars until mid of April. Since justice is optional in Uganda.
The Leopards Anus has spoken, the fragile little President at the Okello State House, cannot even manage without getting hurt by some bum fun and some backhanded slaps. That he feels that he is taken from behind and cornered. Such from a freedom fighter and a revolutionary Marxist. So I hate too, wait I love to be use the words of Ricky Gervais, even if your offended, doesn’t mean your right Mr. President. It just mean your wrong for the unjust reasons. That the injustice you are selling to the tribes and the Republic is now manifested with the charge on Dr. Nyanzi. Peace.
“It is true that when we harm others, we harm ourselves; but it is just as true that when we help others, we also help ourselves.” – Desmond Tutu
It has to be true, it has to be true, that the most holy and the most significant female walking in the Republic is Janet Kaguta Museveni, the First Lady and the Minister for Education and Sports. The one who cannot fund maxi-pads for woman or take care of the Primary School buildings. That is the most holy person and the one that cannot be touched!
Why cannot not be touched or questioned? Well, Dr. Stella Nyanzi has spent time in questioning by the Central Investigation Division at Kireka and been detained for both fixing woman some pads and questioning the reasons for lack of government support for the same. Especially since this was one of the grand promises of the National Resistance Movement, in the recent campaign. How time is a wasting, when you are in power, Ay?
That the First Lady has little or no problem using force is evident since Dr. Stella Nyanzi is awaiting three counts of her crimes, as the lecturer at Makerere University has offended he high and mighty. So she hires the Police Force and Commanders like lap-dogs who catches the people questioning her powers. IGP Kale Kayihura must be on speed-dial and every-time a brother or sister questions her existence they will end behind bars.
So, when NTVs Miss Gertrude Tumusiime Uwitware, was abducted yesterday by unknown men on Nile Avenue in Kampala after she had made a critical piece on the First Lady. We know that she is behind it, because Janet Museveni doesn’t have the capacity or understanding, that if your are minister and a public figure. You can be ridiculed and your acts will be either praised or criticized. But the illiterate minister cannot comprehend that fact, apparently!
That the First Lady does have the character, the swagger or the ability to handle critical voices is clear and evident. As the recent acts of the Police and Security Officials within her power has taken both NTV journalist and a lecturer, who has all been critical about her ways. Therefore, she is not in a mental state to be a leader, neither a government officials. Since she cannot sustain that people questions her or even tries to reason with her. If she was a serious minister who could be taken public court, she would have possibly been worse treated, as the achievements under the NRM and her rule is dwindling. Therefore, they have to detain the ones questioning her. Janet Museveni knows that the failing schools and also failing promises.
The worst part of it all, she thinks she is entitled to use the Police Force and call IGP Kale Kayihura, demand the arrests as these people hurt her feelings. That she asks her husband to act upon the vile words against her Royal Court. That Janet Museveni might feel so, might be true, who knows except herself. What we do know is that she doesn’t have the character to be Minister, neither a leader who get questioned for her acts. Since she detain and harass the media who does so. She shouldn’t be minister, but she is because she married Yoweri Kaguta Museveni back in day. No merit or qualification considered whatsoever.
She married the school debater of Ntare School on the outside of Mbarara district. So she know is entitled to take away the freedoms of all citizens with the whip of her mind. Janet Museveni is so holy and untouchable, that no-one should take her name in vein. The lord called her and husband to control and install their presence for eternity for all citizens of Uganda. She will follow the dissidents and the ones not believing her will, will pay the price of their liberty and peace, as she can command their downfall. That is what the holiness Museveni commands! Peace.
There are these days when you wonder how little margin of error the citizens of Uganda can have, before they become the enemy of the state. The National Resistance Movement, with the President Yoweri Museveni and the First Lady Janet Museveni, who happens now to Minister for Educations and Sports, who was elected by the people or selected on merits, but she was hired because she married the President. Have not clearly liked the questioning her powers and her reach. Janet Museveni have not taken it easy that a Research Fellow and Lecturer at Makerere University has questioned her acts in government.
That Dr. Stella Nyanzi is a fierce critic and doesn’t hold barren of how criticism is well-known, she know also the possible consequence as her own pen has already told that she expected this outcome. That she would be detained and might even lose her. She has right to fear this as she has risked it all against the NRM Regime who does not care about democratic values and rights, as long as the Museveni’s has all power.
Therefore, the NRM are using the policing and the law-system to order and strike at the visible dissidents, therefore we have seen other FDC sympathizers and leaders either behind bars or put through fraudulent court cases. So it is not like Dr. Nyanzi is the first one to be touched by the regimes long arms of force and vicious attempts to silence opposition voices. This is more the pattern of President Museveni and his Police than anything else.
That Mrs Museveni is thin-skinned, is most likely true, she feels entitled to not be questioned or be spoken against. Therefore, when she entered the Ministry after the election she took control of it with the Police Force and cleared the ones phones and communications materials. To make sure no-one would leak or spread anything that wasn’t in-line with ideas. So when a small citizen who happens to work inside her Ministry questions her efforts or even care of pledges of the husband. Than she felt hurt and wanted to retaliate. That has now been done, the forgiveness of the masters and the chiefs wasn’t sincere. Not that ones that has followed the Museveni’s believed the interview on NTV with Sheila Nduhukire.
So that Dr. Stella Nyanzi has to counts on her for her expression and words online, while Chris Obore uses the words against critics, but does not get any problems, proves that the laws are not equal in Uganda. If your a NRM member and leader you can say whatever, but if you question the Leopards Anus, you will be bitten.
The NRM illegitimate rule is proven with acts like this, as they cannot even handle criticism on social media, they cannot manage that a Makerere lecturer can deliver pads to fellow girls at the schools, while the President and his regime cannot manage to uphold their pledges. They we’re just bait to the poor in the districts and up-country, as they would believe they even would get funding for Malwa groups. Oh golly, the promises of an international airport in Gulu. Look forward to see that surface in my lifetime. Please Mr. President promise world peace on your next time for pre-ticked ballots and probable statistics exercise only possible in elections rigging.
So that Mrs. Janet Museveni, the First Lady being hurt by the questioning of her powers and her position, show how little these two as a couple care for democratic values or freedom of expression. That they cannot even manage a fellow citizens with a colorful language expressing her views on the lacking governance from the NRM. Not like Chris Obore or Ofwono Opondo is writing with a soft pen against the FDC or anyone else who questions the NRM. But they are loyalists to the Movement and can get away with murder. Just like NRM tries to get away with murder if they have too, and they do that once in while. Sadly not in every blue-moon.
There lacking care of governance and transparency is apparent as night from day. The irrational NRM will continue with their pending obnoxious belief in their right to rule without any consideration of other views or beliefs. That is why Dr. Stella Nyanzi is behind bars, because the Museveni cannot handled to questioned or be revealed for their lacking service delivery. Peace.
It’s hard to write dear, when I know your greed together with husband has eaten of state coffers for over 31 years. How your husband has used weapons and laws to silence dissidents. That is why I have to write today, as Dr. Stella Nyanzi has triggered.
Today, the Makerere University again has suspended Dr. Stella Nyanzi after you supposedly honorable Minister of Education had forgiven her. Still, hours after your interview, she got axed at the University. She was questioning your husbands giant promises of maxi-pads to girls at schools, since the NRM and the current government cannot afford that.
The government that you represent both as First Lady and as the Ministry of Education. You have high and mighty told how to act and be, how the poor should live, because back-in-the-day, your family was poor. That was before your husband went on the warpath and dissolved all sorts of government in Uganda. But, hey! That is not important for you, since you have eaten of the plate of the government since 1986.
Your estates, farms and businesses has risen, your knowledge of transaction and how to play politics has grown. So you are now in the second Ministerial Position, not on merit, but because your husbands role as President. That isn’t a lie, it is a fact, even Professor. Venansius Baryamureeba would be better choice in a heartbeat. Though you wouldn’t like that assessment would you?
I am supposed to offer you a leaf of appreciation, but I cannot, when I see the regime you work in and the way your acting yourself. You profess yourself to the high and mighty, as even when you entered the Ministry of Education after the election. The First Lady needed all sorts of Police and Security Agents to make sure the dissidents left the building.
So when somebody, a commoner like Dr. Nyanzi writes against you and the NRM, a NRM that has never elected you and you have never had a Primary even to prove your worth. You are not an elected leader, you are selected not on merits, but on affiliation and wedded the President back-in-the-day.
That you are having selective acts towards the ones who parts of your clientele and the ones who is dissidents is proven when it comes to Dr. Nyanzi. She are not allowed to travel on educational travel to the Netherlands, she has been taken to CID on her comments about you and been detained before for her belief in the FDC, instead of the NRM. Therefore, she even got work in South Africa to get peace, but got back now recently. Than, she started where the Ministry of Education failed. Nyanzi started with traveling with “Pads for Girls Campaign”, that have delivered much more than the government who promised it did.
So that must hurt your pride as Minister of Education as a lecture and Dr. at Makerere can do better than the government at their own game. She could gather attention and also inspire people to questions the power to be, that means she questions you and your authority. As First Lady for 3 decades you assume that people respect you, but to honest! They don’t and the way you act, they never will.
Hon. Janet Museveni your years as First Lady and riches has blinded you, it has made you forget the problems of the commoner, and the commoners rather listen to voice of Dr. Nyanzi, than the decadent Minister, which happens to be you. You couldn’t expect that everyone just bow downs and kiss your rings because of your husband, did you?
Mrs. Museveni your husband and his regime is the trouble, as you are making way for the ill ways of the government. Ministry of Education are letting the public schools fall apart and closing private schools, which actually pays their teachers and their staff, also their buildings more intact than the public schools. The district and up-county schools lacks equipment and the teachers rather have small-farms to survive than on civil servants pay. So it is not like your ministry delivers anything else than amounts of ghost schools, ghost staff and illegal tenders.
So that Dr. Nyanzi address you and yours should be expected, that the University is suspending her, that the Police arrests her and that you disclaim her in interviews. Proves that there the classes of highness, which is you Mrs. Museveni and the lower class of Dr. Nyanzi who can easily get ridden off and also use force against.
So don’t speak of respect and honor next time, that you feel is insulted, says more about your lacking understanding of the problems created by the NRM and the lack of accountability and corrupts acts over the years. As the struggles for paying for fees, school-clothes and school-food, is a mystery to you and yours, since you eat of the Reserves from the Bank of Uganda. It is hard in your stolen wealth to understand the poor, when you feel entitled to your position with even merit.
It doesn’t help that you cannot be critiqued and asked of your legitimacy as the pledges of 2015/2016 cannot even be questioned. The Ministry of Agriculture needs funding for their jerrycans and the drip-drop irrigation system that your husband suddenly praise. We hardly believe you as the monies are spoiled and spent on your elite, not on service delivery, if so than the school buildings wouldn’t be falling apart, as the school-kids are the future and not your meal-ticket. Even if you act as they are your meal-ticket and you still eat of the food of the plate,s from the kids and their parents, without any hesitation.
To end this, your thin-skinned and weak at heart, when you cannot handle Dr. Stella Nyanzi! When you cannot handle the voice of reason from a fellow Ugandan. I am not a Ugandan, but surely I cannot accept your intolerance and ignorance as you are a First Lady. Somebody I should respect, but I can’t, that would be lie. Your parts of a thieving elite, who eats off the state coffers without any consideration from the ones you take it from. Peace.
“The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, at the FCA’s 2016 Financial Crime Conference, stated:15 ‘The UK is attractive to criminals and corrupt kleptocrats who steal billions from their own people, often some of the poorest people in the world.’ The Home Secretary concluded: ‘If…we develop world leading legislation to combat financial crime whilst continuing to develop the capabilities of our law enforcement agencies, then we will reduce the flow of dirty money into the City….’” (RAID, P: 14, 2017).
Well, this is not the first or the last time we will discuss mineral-resources and the extractions of these to gain quick profits, either in sophisticated ways of administrative affairs between the ones the licence the operations to the company, which usually is government officials who are pocketed by subsidiaries if multi-national corporations; this is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Guinea. As showed in the RAID report of January 2017: “Bribery in its purest form”; that I will uncover certain parts of to show the apparent companies and holding-companies that are owning and operating in the these countries by bribing officials to export minerals. They get ownership of giant mines and resources from these nations as they are licenced after favourable transactions for the governments, as they are kept bribed to uphold production as well.
This happening in nations that are sanctioned and has sanctioned persons that should stop these transactions and licences of United Kingdom and United States corporations, even if they have shell-companies and official headquarters in Tax-Havens that proves the ability of extracting the massive fortunes in these minerals, without proper transparency in the nation they operate with their mining operation.
I think the report should speak for itself and should be publically known to show how they are able to take the monies, profit and also bribing the officials without any consequences, even when the nations of Zimbabwe and DRC had sanctions against it; still the His Majesty Treasury of United Kingdom didn’t stop the transactions and trade with them. This proves that the UK Government doesn’t care about their own sanctions and how their businesses are operating without judgement and fear of getting fined for breaking laws to get rights and takeover mining operations in other countries.
Take a look!
“The review of mining licences that the Congolese government embarked on in 2007, which was supposed to clear up the murky legacy of wartime contracts, provided Och-Ziff and its collaborators with a golden opportunity to snap up valuable assets at knock-down prices. Working with the Congolese political elite, this group were able to exploit the threat of expropriation or revocation of mining permits to their own advantage. By 2014, according to Forbes Magazine, President Joseph Kabila had amassed an estimated personal fortune of US$15 billion in just over 13 years of power.xxiv In 2015, The Sunday Times Rich List estimated Michael Cohen’s wealth to be £335 million (US$500 million). Forbes puts Daniel Och’s (the founder and CEO of Och-Ziff) net worth at US$2.5 billion and Dan Gertler’s wealth at $1.18 billion. The DRC is one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world, ranked 176 out of 188 countries.xxv Almost 87% of its 69 million people live on less than $1.25 a day. Put another way, that $1.25 each day equates to $450 per year, and with life expectancy of 58 years, Och’s personal fortune would last the lifetimes of more than 95,000 Congolese at today’s values” (Raid, P: 10, 2017).
Och-Ziff subsidiaries:
“Mvela Holdings is incorporated in South Africa.31 Mvela Holdings is described in the Och-Ziff release as ‘a private investment company founded in 1998 by Tokyo Sexwale, Mikki Xayiya and Mark Willcox. It is the controlling shareholder of JSE-listed Mvelaphanda Group Ltd and has a significant interest in JSE-listed Mvelaphanda Resources Ltd. It has other substantial privately held interests in the mining, energy, real estate and various other industrial sectors in South Africa and Africa.’ It appears that Mvela did not ultimately participate directly in AML” (…) “Palladino Holdings is described as a private investment vehicle, founded in 2003 by Walter Hennig holding ‘a variety of significant mining, energy and other assets in Africa.’32 A company under the name Palladino Holdings Limited is registered in the UK, and recorded as originating in the Turks & Caicos Islands.33 Other market notifications that refer to Palladino Holdings Limited as a shareholder give an address for Palladino in the Turks & Caicos Islands.34 Palladino Capital 2 Limited, a closely-related Palladino subsidiary behind a controversial loan to the Guinea government (see below), is registered in the British Virgin Islands” (…) “Other than Och-Ziff employees, directors of Africa Management (UK) Limited include or have included, Walter Hennig (Palladino), Andre Cilliers (Palladino) and its chief executive Mark Willcox (also Chief Executive Officer of Mvela Holdings)” (Raid, P: 17, 2017).
Guinea agreement:
“Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B, along with the CEO of AML and South African Business Partner, conceived of a related-party transaction that would accomplish these goals….According to the deal documents, South African Business Partner was to buy 31.5 million shares in the oil and gas company from the South African conglomerate for $77 million and then immediately resell 18.5 million of those shares to AGC II for $77 million.…” (…) “Contrary to the deal documents…Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B knew that South African Business Partner would not pay the full $77 million to the South African conglomerate. South African Business Partner bought 31.5 million shares…for only $25 million, and then immediately resold 18.5 million shares in that same company to AGC II for $77 million, providing South African Business Partner with $52 million and an additional 13 million shares in the company. With the $52 million, South African Business Partner then paid $2.1 million to Och-Ziff to satisfy an outstanding debt relating to AGC I (in which the Investor had no interest), $25 million to the government of Guinea to try to secure access to valuable mining investments there, $1 million to the agent affiliated with the a high level Guinean government official and his family, and the remainder to personally benefit himself and his business partners” (RAID, P: 19, 2017).
Guinea 2011:
“In or about March 2011, a company controlled by Coconspirator #1 [‘the beneficial owner of the Turks & Caicos Entity’ ] entered into an agreement with the Guinean government, which gave the company the option to buy into the SOMC [‘Guinean state-owned mining company’]. On or about April 29, 2011, an affiliate of the Turks & Caicos Entity loaned the government of Guinea $25 million as part of a deal to become a partner in the SOMC. Coconspirator #1 raised the $25 million through a related-party stock sale to the Joint Venture. MEBIAME signed the loan document on behalf of the affiliate of the Turks & Caicos Entity. According to MEBJAME, the partnership with the SOMC ultimately did not go forward due to negative press accounts, which indicated that the deal between the Guinean government and Coconspirator #1 was corrupt” (…) “He [Alpha Condé] said that he agreed. So we made the loan, we signed the loan to Soguipami…,and so I was authorised to sign and make the transfer.’ Another exhibit – a witness statement, from a UK High Court case, made by the chief executive of a company advising BSGR – states:67 ‘funds were transferred to Alpha Condé by way of a recorded loan of $25million and further unrecorded transfers believed to be “much much more”….Alpha Condé attempted to reward his backers. He entered into an agreement known as the Palladino Contract, pursuant to which the provider of the $25million loan would, on default of the loan, become entitled to a 30% share in a new Guinean national mining company established by Alpha Condé.’ Other exhibits in the ICSID case refer to Walter Hennig and AGC” (RAID, P: 20, 2017).
DRC laundering of mining exports:
“Gertler’s use of London markets to launder DRC assets began with another AIM-traded entity, Nikanor plc. Nikanor plc was described as ‘the holding company of a Group with copper and cobalt assets in the DRC’. The company was incorporated and headquartered in the Isle of Man.87 On 17 July 2007, Nikanor was admitted to AIM” (…) “In the Nikanor admission document, reference is made to allegations that Dan Gertler ‘acquired a temporary monopoly on sales of diamonds from the DRC as a result of improper dealings with the Government of the DRC’.88 The Nikanor admission document concludes that: ‘These allegations do not relate to the Company [Nikanor], the Group or any of their activities. They concern Mr Gertler in his capacity as a shareholder.’ Yet it is stated under ‘risk factors’ in the admission document: ‘…each of the Major Shareholders will be able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of Directors and significant corporate transactions.’ Moreover, there is also a reference to how the group of Nikanor companies with mining assets in the DRC and ‘some of the Major Shareholders’ have been ‘subject to criticism from a number of NGOs’ which included lack of transparency in the process by which the assets were awarded, the absence of public tendering and a joint venture agreement ‘unreasonably favourable to the Group and that as a result Gécamines[the DRC’s state-owned mining company] has not received proper consideration for valuable assets with a resulting detrimental effect on the economy of the DRC”(RAID, P: 22 ,2017).
Another DRC Agreement – Camrose transaction:
“The DOJ refers to ‘a $124 million convertible loan through a subsidiary company and AGC to Company B, a DRC Partner-controlled shell entity, funded in or about and between April and October 2008 (the “Convertible Loan Agreement”)’.121 Under the heading ‘C. Corrupt Takeover of DRC Mining Company’” (…) “the SEC Order states:Also in April 2008, Och-Ziff caused AGC I to enter into an approximately $124 million convertible loan with a holding company affiliated with DRC Partner. The stated uses of these funds were threefold: first, to provide DRC Partner with approximately $15 million to purchase a Congolese entity that had acquired the rights to a valuable mining asset in the DRC (the longstanding asset of a Canadian mining company) through an ex parte default judgment in the DRC that resulted in judicial misconduct proceedings; second, to provide DRC Partner with approximately $100 million to purchase a majority stake in that Canadian mining company in exchange for resolving its legal issues; and third, to advance an additional $9 million to be used for future mining operations in the DRC” (RAID, P: 26, 2017). “The transaction gave Och-Ziff control over what assets could be bought or sold by the entity, equity conversion rights into DRC Partner’s entity, a pledged interest in the shares of the Congolese entity, and a right to future deals with DRC Partner in the DRC. Moreover, the transaction gave DRC Partner complete discretion over how to use approximately $24 million of the funds provided by Och-Ziff. Further, Och-Ziff understood this transaction was part of a broader, ongoing partnership with DRC Partner. Finally, both Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B knew that DRC Partner was going to use a portion of the funds to pay bribes, and knew that the transaction was structured to accomplish that goal. This knowledge was not shared with others within Och-Ziff or with outside counsel” (RAID, P: 27, 2017).
Camrose II:
“A 50% interest in Société Minière de Kabolela et Kipese Sprl (‘SMKK’) was acquired on 9 November 2009 as part of the CAMEC acquisition….In 2009 the Group acquired an option, for a cash consideration of US$25 million, to purchase the outstanding 50% of the issued share capital of SMKK by acquiring the entire issued share capital of Emerald Star Enterprises Limited (‘ESEL’), (an entity controlled by the Gertler family trust), the owner of the outstanding 50% of SMKK. The Group exercised this option and the acquisition of ESEL was effectively completed and control obtained by the Group in June 2010. The total cash consideration in respect of the outstanding SMKK shares, inclusive of the US$25 million option, amounted to US$75 million” (…) “Throughout the period of DRC Partner’s acquisition of Kolwezi Tailings and SMKK, DRC Partner continued to make corrupt payments to DRC Official 2. For example, on or about December 23, 2009, DRC Partner delivered $1 million to DRC Official 2; on or about January 5, 2010, DRC Partner delivered $2 million to DRC Official 2” (…) “On or about August 20, 2010, Mining Company 1 acquired 50.5 percent of Company B. Mining Company I agreed to pay up to $575 million over two years, including $50 million in cash. Och-Ziff Employee 3 and Och-Ziff Employee 5 were informed by a co-conspirator that the $50 million was for DRC Partner to “use on the ground” to corruptly acquire Kolwezi Tailings. As part of the deal, Mining Company 1 guaranteed repayment of the Convertible Loan Agreement through a novation of the loan” (RAID, P: 30-31, 2017).
“Camrose Resources Limited, BVI company number: 1055983, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on 9 October 2006. “ (…) ”124 According to the company website: ‘The Fleurette Group is comprised of various businesses organized under Fleurette Properties Ltd., a company established in 2006 for the benefit of the Gertler Family Trust.’ (<http://fleurettegroup.com/>). A press release attributed to Fleurette Properties Limited states: ‘The Fleurette Group of Companies is a Dutch-resident group of companies whose primary activities are the investment in, exploration, exploitation and development of mining assets in Africa. The parent company of the group is called Fleurette Properties Limited, which is owned by Line Trust Corporation Limited strictly and solely on behalf of the Ashdale Settlement, a trust established in 2006 for the benefit of the family of Dan Gertler.’” (RAID, P: 58, 2017).
“Camrose is described as holding indirect interests in five copper and cobalt exploitation licences in DRC, including a 70% interest, via the Highwind Group, in Metalkol Sarl, which ENRC states as owning ‘the tailings exploitation licence covering the Kolwezi Tailings Site (otherwise known as the Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings, or “KMT”) (PER 652)’. See ENRC plc, ‘Acquisition of 50.5% of the Shares of Camrose Resources Limited’, op. cit” (RAID, P: 59, 2017).
UK gives Concent to Camrose transaction:
“Consent for the Camrose transaction was therefore sought from the UK authorities, consent that was clearly forthcoming. ENRC sought to prevent publication of media reports relating to the SAR: 101Reporters has published not only the SAR, but also the letter it received from ENRC’s lawyers, which stated: ‘you will respect the public interest in maintaining the confidentiality in SARs and remove that aspect from your article.’” (RAID, P: 33, 2017). “There is a permissive pathway by which mines and minerals from zones of conflict and weak governance are transferred to companies trading on AIM who, in turn, through a process of acquisition, transfer these tainted assets to companies in the premium segment of the main market. This process can only be described as asset laundering. Certain of ENRC’s Congolese and Zimbabwean assets, at the heart of the SFO criminal investigation, were derived from the acquisition of AIM-traded Central African Mining and Exploration Company Limited (CAMEC), which was allowed to flourish unchecked on the junior market, despite a myriad of compliance issues that have never been addressed by AIM Regulation” (RAID, P: 34, 2017).
Zimbabwe Platinum deal:
“On 11 April 2008, CAMEC announced the acquisition of an interest in platinum mining assets in Zimbabwe via its acquisition of 100% of Lefever Finance Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands.209 Lefever owned 60% of Todal Mining (Private) Limited, a Zimbabwean company, which held the rights to the Bougai and Kironde claims south west of the city of Gweru in Zimbabwe. 210 The remaining 40% of Todal was held by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (‘ZMDC’), wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe” (…) “…The consideration paid for Lefever was a cash payment of US$5 million and the issue of 215,000,000 new CAMEC ordinary shares. CAMEC’s announcement of the acquisition stated:211 ‘Furthermore, CAMEC has agreed to advance to Lefever an amount of US$100 million by way of loan to enable Lefever to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Repayment to Lefever is to be made from the ZMDC’s share of dividends from Todal.’” (…) “According to the company’s own 11 April news release announcing the Zimbabwean platinum deal, CAMEC advanced the $100 million loan to Lefever to enable it ‘to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe “ (PAID, P: 38, 2017).
“Och-Ziff had control over divesting from CAMEC after the platinum deal was announced (Mugabe and senior Zimbabwean government figures were already designated under US sanctions) or after the designation of both the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC – CAMEC’s state-controlled partner in the platinum venture) and Billy Rautenbach, later described by the US as a ‘Mugabe crony’. Och-Ziff, however, held onto its CAMEC shares into 2009, selling its remaining holding only when ENRC acquired CAMEC in November of that year” (RAID, P: 41, 2017).
Important Notes:
“Africa Management is referred to in the Memorandum of Association of Camrose Resources: ‘…Africa Management Limited, a company incorporated in Guernsey with registered number 47651 and whose registered office is at Ogier House, St Julian’s Avenue, St. Peter Port.’ (See Memorandum and Articles of Association of Camrose Resources Limited, Incorporated 9 October 2006, Amendment registered in this 20th day of November 2008, Memorandum of Association, 10 Definitions and Interpretation, 10.1, “Africa Management Limited”)” (RAID, P: 55, 2017).
Mail&Guardian graphic about how Tokyo Sexwale investing in Gertler corporations.
That this company Och-Ziff and their subsidiaries are handling their business in this way is not acceptable, the way they are catering to corrupt government officials and stifling the citizens of the nations they are earing fortunes. These corporate-stooges are writing-off dozens of nations desirable taxes and regulated levies on businesses. As they are bribing both high-level like Alphe Conde who accepts the deals in Guinea, as well as friends of Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo, even getting Tokyo Sexwale the former minister of ANC in South Africa to be parts of their network. These levels of bribing and usage of political connection to get resources and takeover companies with ownership of licences of profitable mines, proves the graft and bribe that occurs to secure extravagant luxury for the government officials that are accepting these deals.
The Och-Ziff are using these subsidiaries and corporations to money laundering or tax-exempt them to gain more profits on the mining in the nations. Certainly done with the leadership knowledge and showed their employee tactics to bribe and secure the transactions and ownership of profitable mines. That is certainly the reason for these sophisticated business-models, that enrichen the corporate leadership and gives government officials giant envelopes to give away nations vital resources. These well-planned well-crafted companies that uses all kind of loopholes and ways to escape the punishment for their breaching of international and national law to salvage as much profit as possible.
The long-term effect is certainly that the Guinean, Congolese and Zimbabwean government get less tax on the dollar as the corporate leadership pays them directly a smaller fee, than actually paying the legitimate taxation for their operation and their owned businesses. These actions shouldn’t be in the wind, it should be in the public and be addressed, even send the corporate leadership and government officials should answer to the public thievery as the minerals are taken without proper legal rights because of the fraud, secondly the corporate and the government officials are implicated in the thievery and should be sanctioned by courts and under the rule of law. Third the corporations themselves should lose the licence and the mining operations as they got them without proper procedure and there is invalid. They should also be fined and get banned from working in this nations or the corporations with these corporate bosses that are acting for them to gain this default destructive profits. Peace.
Reference:
Rights and Accountability in Development (RAID) – ‘‘Bribery in its purest form’: Och-Ziff, asset laundering and the London connection’ January 2017
MinBane 