China still helping with Nuctech case

THE Chinese government is still working with Namibian authorities on the fraud, bribery and corruption allegations surrounding the multimillion-dollar Nuctech scanner deal for which Teckla Lameck, Kongo Mokaxwa and Chinese national Yang Fan were arrested.

‘The investigation is underway and we don’t have a conclusion yet,’ Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Chen Jian said at a press briefing on the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing yesterday.The case against Lameck, Mokaxwa and Yang was postponed to November 25 in Windhoek recently, because the prosecution still needs to obtain witness statements, including a report from China.The Anti-Corruption Commission arrested the three in July for their involvement in the deal between Government and the Chinese company, Nuctech, in which Namibia agreed to pay US$55,3 million for security scanners at ports and airports. In the process, more than N$42 million was paid into the account of Teko Trading, the partnership of Lameck and Mokaxwa in which Yang also had business ties. The entire account was cleared out within about two months.Dow Jones Newswires yesterday quoted Chen, reporting that the official admitted ‘on the sidelines of the briefing’ that China is working with local authorities on the matter.’He didn’t offer details about the case,’ the Wall Street media giant said.Chen’s statement made business news headlines almost immediately, with online publications like the Wall Street Journal, Globe Investor and the Nasdaq newswires sending it into the world.The Dow Jones described the case as ‘sensitive, because the Communist Party Secretary of Nuctech’s parent company, Tshinghua Holdings Company, is Hu Haifeng, son of China President Hu Jintao’.Chen was asked about the matter after he said that economic development between China and Africa is aimed at the pursuit of common prosperity on both sides.’There is no such problem with conflict of best practices or any setbacks in this process,’ the Dow Jones quoted him as saying. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, is scheduled for this coming Sunday and Monday.’This conference is held when the international situation is changing and the international financial crisis continues to spread its effect. China-Africa relations are faced with new challenges and opportunities,’ China Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said at the same briefing. Chen then reiterated that China does not attach any preconditions to its assistance to Africa. – Own report and Dow Jones Newswires