Oryx Rejects Qadhafi Control Claim

Geoffrey White, Chairman of Sengamines SARL and a Director and Vice president of Oryx Natural Resources, flatly rejects the claim that Libyan leader Muammer Qadhafi has taken control of Oryx or Sengamines.

White also asks to point out what he feels are factual errors or misrepresentations in the article:

The article, he says, wrongly states that Qadhafi has assumed control or de-facto control of Sengamines.

Thamer Al Shanfari has NOT been the Minister of Petroleum and Energy in Oman and does NOT have close links to Robert Mugabe.

Since January 2003, following a restructure, Oryx owns 80 percent of Sengamines, and MIBA 20 percent of Sengamines.

All of Sengamines current production is from its kimberlite mining operations.

Zimbabwe is no longer a joint venture partner of Oryx.

There is no hands on involvement by LAAICO and NO further loans have been extended by LAAICO.

Neither Libya nor LAAICO has become dominant in Oryx or Sengamines.

Khattabi has NOT become Chairman. The Chairman remains HE Dr Issa Al Kawari.

The rumor that “bartering transactions (diamonds for arms) in the making and that access to diamonds might also enable the paying off of foreign politicians with diamonds rather than cash” is totally unfounded and the damage done to Oryx's reputation is NOT mitigated by the statement that dismiss these rumors.

White concludes, stating that Sengamines was awarded the ‘best investor in Kasai’ by the Government in 2003.