Press statement: 25th November 2003: UN Panel clears John Bredenkamp, Tremalt Limited and Kababankola Mining Company
"All matters of substance have been resolved"

Lubumbashi, DRC: On 15th October 2003 the Chairman of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo submitted the Panel's Final Report ("the Final Report") to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General in turn referred the Final Report to the United Nations Security Council which adopted the Presidential statement 2003/21 on 19th November 2003.

The Final Report resolves all of the previously unsubstantiated allegations of unlawful activity on the part of John Bredenkamp and his group companies in the DRC.

The Final Report was mandated by the Security Council by way of Resolution 1457 (2003) pursuant to which the Panel was directed to engage in a dialogue with individuals, companies and States referred to in its earlier reports, to exchange information with those parties, to assess actions taken by them in the DRC, and where relevant, to clear those parties of any allegations of illegal activity.

Kababankola Mining Company S.p.r.l. ("KMC"), Tremalt Limited and Mr John Bredenkamp (together called "the Tremalt Parties") adopted a policy of complete transparency with the Panel and entered into extensive dialogue with the Panel. This dialogue encompassed a considerable exchange of information and documentation. The written response of the Tremalt Parties to the earlier reports of the Panel was then published as an attachment to the Panel's interim report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 20th June 2003.

The Final Report of 15th October 2003 now sets out the Panel's conclusions following on its further investigations, and the dialogue entered into with individuals and companies, including the Tremalt Parties. In the Final Report the Panel has now confirmed that all matters of substance relating to John Bredenkamp, and the other Tremalt Parties, have been resolved.

In making it clear that all matters of substance have now been resolved, and that it is "only a matter of going forward with improved controls and procedures", the Panel also accepted the voluntary undertaking of the Tremalt Parties, pursuant to their policy of transparency, and good corporate governance, to adopt the OECD guidelines for Multi National Enterprises, and to submit to monitoring by the relevant National Contact Point.

During its final meeting with the Panel the Tremalt Parties were encouraged by the Panel to remain invested in the DRC and to expand on the investment in that country. The investment consists of a joint venture with the State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (via its parastatal Gecamines) in KMC, which is a DRC company.

Mr John Bredenkamp, Chairman of KMC said, "we are pleased that the Panel has accepted that we were not involved in any illegal exploitation of the DRC's natural resources, nor any other illegal activity in the DRC, and that all such allegations have been resolved to the Panel's satisfaction. From the beginning it was clear to us that the unsubstantiated allegations made in previous Panel reports were misconceived, and that a policy of transparency would resolve all of these issues of substance, which has now proved to be the case. Now we can get on with the business of realising the potential of KMC to the benefit of all of its stake holders, particularly the Congolese people." He added "it is particular pleasing that the Panel have accepted our voluntary offer to be monitored by an OECD National Contact Point."

ENDS

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