THE critical shortage of petroleum products that almost brought Zambia to a standstill between March and April this year was as a result of a corruption scandal in which the country could have lost US$20 million through an oil supplying contract with Trafigura.
Trafigura demanded to be paid an additional $20million on a contract that was varied by a known officer who had no authority to do so.
Government sources have revealed that Government refused to be blackmailed into paying an extra US$20 million above the contractual amount.
Dalbit, the current supplier, came to the aid of the nation to avert and ameliorate the fuel crisis that threatened to bring the country’s economy to its knees.
Sources from the Ministry of Energy have disclosed that a senior official at the ministry connived with Trafigura to corruptly amend the oil supplying contract between Government and Trafigura, which was going to see the country lose an extra US$20 million in the illicit transaction.
Trafigura is the company that was embroiled in another oil supplying scandal which saw Zambia procure 216 million litres of petrol and 21 million litres of diesel at an exorbitant price of US$500 million when the country should have paid US200 million as per the ruling international market prices at the time.
Between 2011 and 2012, Dalbit was among the companies that participated in the tender to supply Zambia with petroleum products and provided the best bid but the contract was controversially awarded to Trafigura that came second in the bidding process.
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Trafigura Exposed
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