Kukeh,
Regardless of how long they stay, crimes of corruption and siphoning of public funds must be prosecuted. Term limits or no Term Limits. Might you agree that one of the reasons constitutional rule was abrogated by the soldiers was to curb drug trafficking and public corruption, corruption which contributed to the dirth of public services such as water, sewerage, electricity, and health care?
Haruna. You always come at me from left field Kukeh. I will admit though that I have grown to expect the bizarre challenge from you even where it is not warranted. That keeps me on my toes more than clueless agreement. I thank you for your alacrity. Term Limit does not preclude sobriety during the term itself - whatever that term is.
> Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:58:53 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: La Guinea government demands ex-ministers pay stolen funds from the mining sector.
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Haruna,
> Deja vous all over again? Probity, accountability and ....(what was the
> word again?) Perhaps we should advice our well-meaning soldiers with a
> difference to focus their attention to amending the constitution to
> include TERM-LIMIT and return to barracks as soon as possible. Public
> inquisitions and dirt-digging of the Conte era folks are for those who
> intend to stay a little longer.
>
> Malanding Jaiteh
>
>
>
>
> Haruna Darbo wrote:
> > Courtesy: Reuters.
> >
> >
> > Guinea demands former ministers repay mines cash
> >
> > Sun Mar 8, 2009 2:20pm GMT
> > By Saliou Samb
> >
> > CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's military junta has demanded that four
> > former mines ministers repay more than $5 million it says they
> > embezzled from the state, according to a senior official.
> >
> > The televised accusations came less than a month after security forces
> > detained the former president's son, who later publicly confessed to
> > involvement in drug smuggling.
> >
> > At the time, human rights campaigners expressed concern at the methods
> > employed by the West African state's rulers, who took power in
> > December after the death of long-serving President Lansana Conte.
> >
> > The junta's audit committee said in a interrogation of the former
> > mines ministers broadcast on state television on Saturday night that
> > Ahmed Tidiane Souare, Ousmane Sylla, Ahmed Kante and Louceny Nabe owe
> > around $5.3 million in total.
> >
> > It claimed almost half of this amount from Souare, who served as mines
> > minister between 2005 and 2006 but was Prime Minister when Capt.
> > Moussa Dadis Camara's group seized power.
> >
> > "These funds were intended for the promotion and development of
> > mining, and they were totally misappropriated," said Mouctar Balde,
> > vice-president of the committee.
> >
> > "They (the ministers) have given us explanations but mostly, they have
> > not convinced us," he said.
> >
> > The ex-ministers made no comment in the broadcast.
> >
> > Mining is a major source of state revenue in the world's top exporter
> > of aluminium ore bauxite, and international firms such as Rio Tinto,
> > AngloGold Ashanti and RUSAL are active in the sector.
> >
> > Analysts say senior figures in the Conte administration used foreign
> > mining firms to enrich themselves, depriving the treasury of
> > much-needed cash. Camara's willingness to tackle corruption is seen by
> > industry experts as key to foreign firms' perception of the risk of
> > doing business in Guinea.
> >
> > "A file has been handed to the Ministry of Justice and the chief
> > prosecutor," Balde said.
> >
> > Guinea's military rulers, widely criticised for their coup, are under
> > pressure to restore civilian rule and have promised polls before 2010
> > as well as to fight drug trafficking and corruption.
> >
> > Last month Ousmane Conte, son of Guinea's late president, said in a
> > televised confession filmed after an all-night interrogation that he
> > had been part of a drug smuggling network.
> >
> > Falling metals prices on world markets are expected to hit Guinea's
> > income as mining revenues fall.
> >
> > After shipping a record 13.7 million tonnes of bauxite exports last
> > year, Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee -- 51 percent owned by a joint
> > venture controlled by Alcoa and Rio Tinto and accounts for 80 percent
> > of Guinea's mining income -- has already had to cancel some shipments
> > in 2009.