Western Reader
In a world where local news often gets overlooked, an intriguing story has emerged from Egypt and Zambia.
This tale is not just a regional anecdote, but a testament to the unchecked criminality that pervades our globe, transcending geographical boundaries. It also highlights the daunting task of journalism in a landscape where the line between state players and criminal elements is blurred.
On August 14, a suspicious aircraft was intercepted in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Karim Asaad, an investigative journalist working for the Egyptian fact-checking platform matsada2sh, took it upon himself to delve into this mystery.
His investigation revealed a convoluted network of passengers on board a plane with a dubious flight path that included recent stops in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Benghazi, and Tripoli. However, his pursuit of truth led to his arrest by Egyptian authorities on August 19, raising questions about the freedom of press in the region.
Over USD$5.6 million and 602 pieces of gold found on a private plane at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. 10 suspects including a Zambian have been detained. The Drug Enforcement Commission has seized the plane,a local aircraft & other items for investigation.#Zambia #Gold pic.twitter.com/tt4f0lF0Wt
— Bangweulu TV Zambia (@BangweuluTv) August 15, 2023
Among the passengers on the mysterious plane was Shadrick Kasanda, known as ‘the man of gold’ and ‘Mr Money’, who frequently flaunted pictures of himself with large quantities of what seemed to be gold.
Another notorious passenger was Michael Adel Botros, a 42-year-old Egyptian national residing in Qatar. Botros is the director of Amstone International Limited, a defense technology firm with offices spread across the US, Egypt, Poland, Greece, the UAE, the UK, and France.
The detention of Asaad sparked outrage, with allegations of assault on his wife and threats to their child by security forces.
The Egyptian Press Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee called for an investigation into these allegations and demanded Asaad’s release.
Meanwhile, Zambian authorities discovered over $5 million in cash and more than 100 kilograms of suspected gold mixed with zinc, copper, and nickel on board the aircraft.
Further investigations led to the seizure of more than $5.5m stored in bags and boxes, five pistols, seven magazines, and over 100 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, 600 bars of what was initially believed to be gold were found.
However, further inspection revealed these to be mainly copper and zinc alloy, casting doubts on the authenticity of the ‘man of gold’s’ claims.
Egypt releases journalist detained over reporting on Zambia plane seizure https://t.co/3reKEK6PNl by @beatricefarhat
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) August 21, 2023
The aircraft, a high-speed corporate Bombardier, was registered in San Marino, operated by an office in Dubai, and connected to an aircraft rental service in Antwerp, Belgium.
It had flown from Amman, Jordan, with an overnight stopover in Cairo before being intercepted in Zambia.
In connection with the plane, Zambian authorities arrested 13 people, including six Egyptians, four Zambians, and individuals from Latvia, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Asaad was released from police custody on August 20th, leaving us in suspense about whether he will continue his investigation of the ‘mystery plane.’
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
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