By NOEL IYOMBWA
ZAMBIA does not own any vessel and the ship reportedly intercepted carrying illegal arms does not belong to this country, former deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Gabriel Namulambe has said.
Mr Namulambe expressed shock that anyone could purport that the vessel involved in illegal arms against an arms embargo could be owned by the Zambian government.
He said as far as he knew, Zambia did not own any sea vessel.
Mr Namulambe said that in the event that the country orders goods from another country, it is impossible to put a flag on the vessel carrying the goods.
He said the fact that the vessel was heading to North Africa is a clear indication that it is the work of some selfish individuals
“Zambia does not own any vessel and it has never owned one, in an event that the country orders goods from another country it is not allowed to put a flag on the vessels carrying the goods.
“Those are just works of someone with an ill agenda,” Mr Namulambe said.
And recently, Government clarified that the vessel which was intercepted by the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI was being operated by 11 Russian nationals led by a man identified as Andrei Buchek.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from the development and that the matter has been reported to relevant Marine time authorities.
Reports have emerged that the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI intercepted a vessel at sea believed to be carrying a Zambian flag.
The vessel is alleged to have been carrying illegal firearms in contravention of an arms embargo against Libya.
The vessel is said to have been ferrying arms from Morocco to Libya.
Mr Namulambe said that there is someone who is doing this to dent the image of the country.
