STEVEN MVULA, LUCY LUMBE, Lusaka
THE construction firm believed to have been paid US$33 million as part payment for the construction of the now stalled FTJ University in Mansa applied for local de-registration in 2019. China Energy Engineering Group Hunan Electric Power Design Institute Co. Ltd (CEEC-HEPDI), a Chinese state-owned enterprise that provides engineering and construction services, could not be found in the National Council for Construction (NCC) database with the source there saying maybe it is registered under a different name. Documents obtained from PACRA indicate that CEEC-HEPDI was incorporated in Zambia on October 13, 2015 with registration number 120170008976 and wound up business on October 29, 2018, according to a gazette notice dated September 13, 2019 seen by the Daily Mail. “Notice is hereby given that at the expiration of three months after publication of this notice, China Energy Engineering Group Hunan Electric Power Design Institute Africa Company Limited Company registration number 1201501366451, incorporated in Zambia on October 13, 2015 and having its place of business at 4729/A Dunduza Chisidza Road, Longacres, Lusaka be struck off the register of companies,” reads a notice signed by a W. Banda, an assistant registrar at PACRA. However, a physical check of the Longacres address yielded a blank – the address — plot number 4729/A on Dunduza Chisidza — appears to be non-existent. The plot numbers on CLICK TO READ MORE