Transparency International Zambia executive director Maurice Nyambe speaks at the Zambia Anti-Corruption Conference at Mika Valley Exotic Hotel in Lusaka – December 8, 2020 – Picture by Tenson Mkhala ZESCO Limited’s failure to explain why it needs to acquire a €1.7 billion loan, translating to around K45 billion, remains suspicious, says Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z). And former finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane says Zesco’s decision to acquire the unexplained €1.7 billion loan may cost Zambia’s chance for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package. Last week, an investigation by News Diggers! indicated that Zesco was seeking an unprecedented €1.78 billion loan from suspicious unlicensed and unregulated lenders based in Bosnia, Italy and Thailand, and Zesco hadfailed to explain the purpose of the loan to-date.