Former Zambian President asked for $1m for 2011 presidential campaign – Nigerian Witness

A Nigerian state witness has testified that former President Rupiah Banda asked for US$1 million (K5.4 billion) from his company for the 2011 presidential campaign.
SARB managing director Akpan Ekpene yesterday told the court that Mr Banda asked his fugitive son Henry to handle the money.
Mr Ekpene was testifying in a matter in which the former President, 75, of house number 3 plot 2759 off Leopards Hill Road in Lusaka is charged with one count of abuse of authority of office.
Mr Ekpene told the court that he informed Banda that he would “do his best” to find the money as Zambia sought to purchase oil from Nigeria.
Banda is alleged to have procured a US$2.5 million Nigerian government-to-government oil contract in the name of the republic of Zambia “which he in fact meant to benefit himself and his family”.
Mr Ekpene testified that in an earlier meeting with Banda, he had mentioned that the government-to-government oil transaction would be good for the country and would also support his political party (MMD).

“He said the proposal was good, that he did not see anything wrong with it and that it would be good for the country and would also support their political party,” Mr Ekpene said.
He said he came to Zambia when the transaction was approved by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and that he had a meeting with Banda at state house.
Mr Ekpene said he was informed by the former president that election campaigns (September 20, 2011) would be underway and that any resources from the anticipated revenue in the oil transaction would be very useful.
Mr Ekpene said the former President introduced Henry to him and said Henry would tell him what to do and he left with Henry for another room.
“He mentioned that he was starting election campaigns and asked what money could be made available. He said he needed support with US$1 million,” he said.
He said he asked Henry if he held any government position and Henry said he did not hold any position in government and that he was a private businessman.
Mr Ekpene said he would raise the money requested for by the former president but asked whether the bank account in which the money would be deposited was in the name of the republic of Zambia and Henry said it was not.
Mr Ekpene said it would be difficult to transfer the money because he had a credit line that would easily make payments to the republic of Zambia and the NNPC.
He said if the money was to be deposited into another account, documents had to be generated to facilitate the transfer.
“He delegated me to work with Henry Banda, who did not have an account with the government of Zambia. To satisfy the President’s request to transfer money, we had to generate documents,” Mr Ekpene said.
He said Henry decided to set up a company called Iexora with an address in Hong Kong and signed an agreement with SARB Energy for a feasibility study involving a 450 megawatts combined cycle power generation plant to be located in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.
He said his company paid an initial amount of US$500,000 to the company because Henry had told him that he needed to buy campaign materials.
Mr Ekpene said he made the payment to Iexora through a bank account held in Singapore with Barclays Bank and this was confirmed by Henry through SMS.
He said Henry continued to pressurise him to transfer the rest of the funds as elections approached and that he (Mr Ekpene) was very cautious because his company was taking a risk.
Mr Ekpene said US$50,000 was deposited in the same account four days before the election and that by the time the money reached the account, it was closed.
“I transferred another US$50,000 into that account but that money was sent back because the account was closed after the elections in Zambia,” he said.

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