Police Recover Coltan

May 01, 2002

POLICE investigating the robbery and mysterious disappearance of a lorry containing sh1.75b worth of coltan have recovered 90kg worth sh15,750,000 in Lunguja, a city suburb.

By Steven CandiaPOLICE investigating the robbery and mysterious disappearance of a lorry containing sh1.75b worth of coltan have recovered 90kg worth sh15,750,000 in Lunguja, a city suburb.A geologist with Butorogo mining company, Sam Kabali, Bassajja Mivule Kabalisa, Stephen Nakakande and Yoninya Nalongo Mukasa were arrested by the Police in March in connection with the robbery.Coltan, an acronym for columbo-tantalite, is used to produce tantalum powder which is used in the manufacture of capacitors that go in virtually every electronic appliance including computers and mobile phones.Coltan is an illegally mined mineral from the Kahuzi-Biega national park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Assistant commissioner of Police for crime Edison Mbiringi yesterday said some of the mineral was recovered from the suspects at the time of arrest. All the other three suspects held in connection with the robbery were arrested in the same suburb.On January 23, armed thugs hijacked a Mombasa-bound semi-trailer truck that was loaded with 14 drums of the mineral in Katende in Mpigi district. Each of the drums contained 800kg of coltan.However, the truck was discovered abandoned in Bugiri a few days later without the cargo. The mineral belonged to a German-based company.Last month, Kabali appeared before Buganda Road Court on charges of robbery and an alternative charge of accepting stolen property. He pleaded not guilty and was granted a cash bail of sh1.5m.Mbiringi was non-committal on the whereabouts of the mineral but said the three suspects were to appear in court to answer similar charges.A UN panel has accused several countries of plundering DRC minerals.Ends

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