Dangote Industries Zambia, a subsidiary of Dangote Group has dragged Zambian Labour minister, Fackson Shamenda before a High Court in the country, for defamation.
The minister had claimed that a senior company official had attempted bribing him, according to documents before the court.
Describing the claim as false, the company wants to be paid an unspecified sum as damages for slander and libel, and also special damages in the sum of 112,042.84 kwacha ($17,728), court documents further reveal.
Shamenda had claimed in a September 15 story published by the Post Newspaper, that a Nigerian human resources manager from the company offered him a bribe which he rejected.
“He told me that it was a tradition in their culture to give someone a token of appreciation,” the paper quoted Shamenda as saying.
“May I take this opportunity to warn Dangote and all other investors in the country to avoid enticing government officials with bribes — it hinders progress.”
Dangote Group in 2010 announced an Investment, Promotion and Protection Agreement between Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and the Government of Zambia.
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