By GIDEON NYENDWATHE US$65 million presidential jet whose value was doubled by the installation of state of the art security features may not be sold at a profit, former Defence Minister George Mpombo has said.The additional installations according to Israeli sources included missiles and self-defence systems.Government sources told the Daily Nation that aircraft retrofit was recommended by the defence forces to avoid the shooting down of the presidential jet as was the case in Rwanda which resulted in genocide.In 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira, both Hutus, was shot down with surface-to-air missiles as it prepared to land in Kigali, Rwanda.The assassination set the Rwandan genocide in motion, one of the bloodiest events of the late 20th century.The Zambian defence forces allegedly recommended that the new presidential jet be customised by adding defence and attack missiles following security concerns.And Dr Mpombo said it was imperative that the Zambian […]
`JET IS UNSALEABLE’
