By 
Former Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo, and Lake Oil Group of Companies Limited are in court to resolve a US$600,000 deal that appears to have gone wrong.
While Lusambo claims being owed a $600,000 facilitation fees, Lake Oil Group is denying owing any such fees.
The company contends that claims by the former PF Lusaka Province Minister that it entered into a verbal contract with them to facilitate various investments are malicious.
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In the ongoing case, Lusambo had sued the Group at the Lusaka High Court alleging that it had failed to pay him the US$600,000 after facilitating its business investments.
He said in 2017, he was approached by Lake Oil Group of Companies Limited’s agent Ramana Gompa,to facilitate the company’s investments in various businesses.
He stated that he facilitated investment in Gulf Adventures with him to benefit five percent of the US$3 million investment which translates to a total sum of US$150,000.00.
He also said he facilitated another investment was the Lake Agro, and it was agreed that he would be paid five percent out of an investment of US$5 million which amounted to a sum of US$250,000.00.
He also facilitated the Kapiri Dry port investment in which it was agreed that he would be paid US$200,000 as his commission.
He alleged that the oil Group of Companies was expected to pay him a total sum of US$600,000 from the three investments between 2017 and 2019.
He thus seeks an order for the Oil company to pay damages for financial loss, pain and anguish he suffered due to its failure to liquidate the US$600,000.
However, the Oil Group of Companies has applied that the matter be dismissed for for irregularities, abuse of court process, being scandalous and for failure to disclose a reasonable cause of action .
In defence,the companies submitted it had never authorized the said Ramana Gompa to act as its agent whatsoever in relation to the alleged investment transactions or agreement.
It argued that during the said period of the verbal agreement Lusambo was a provincial minister paid by government through tax payers money,as such could not take pecuniary interest or advantage of the companies,the role of his office was to promote investments that would benefit Zambia and not himself.
“The defendant is not aware of the plaintiff’ s verbal agreement and as such the claims there to are extremely strange ,”
It submitted that the case be dismissed on account that the statement of claim did not disclose the date and where the lleged verbal contract was entered nor the witnesses present at the time of the agreement.
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