via Paris.
Although Mpambani did not form part of the official Free State
delegation, sources who went on the trip said that the businessman was
frequently in Magashule’s company in Cuba. ‘Ace mostly spent time
with people from the FDC and his business associates; he didn’t really
pay much attention to the provincial and municipal officials,’ said an
employee of a Free State municipality who tagged along. On a few
occasions, Magashule and his band of businesspeople joined the
government officials for dinner. ‘We were all eating at a restaurant in
Havana one night when Ace introduced us to this young businessman.
It was Igo,’ the same source told me. One of Magashule’s former
staffers confirmed that Mpambani formed part of the premier’s group
in Cuba. ‘I don’t know how they knew each other. I met the guy for the
first time in Cuba,’ this official told me.
The IgoFiles show that Mpambani’s visit to Havana was brief. He
must have arrived there quite late on Wednesday 28 January. That
evening, before 10 p.m. local time, he spent just under R 6 000 from the
605 Consulting account at a hotel in Havana. The following day, he
paid just under R 4 000 for an air ticket that would take him to the
Cayman Islands that Sunday. This picturesque archipelago south of
Cuba is known for its beautiful beaches, pristine blue water and
infamously opaque financial sector. The Cayman Islands ranks third on
the Tax Justice Network’s 2018 Financial Secrecy Index,^1 meaning it is
one of the best places in the world to stash money without being asked
difficult questions.
Mpambani landed at the Owen Roberts International Airport in
George Town, the Caymans’ capital, at 15 : 25 local time on Sunday 1
February 2015. He checked into the Holiday Inn Resort Grand
nora
(Nora)
#1