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.
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