An Australian company offered to pay up to $US6 million ($9 million) to a middleman as part of a plan to win backing from an African spymaster, president, first lady and other high-ranking foreign officials in a fierce battle with Chinese interests over one of the world’s biggest lithium deposits. The backroom efforts of ASX-listed AVZ Minerals to secure the support in the notoriously corrupt Democratic Republic of Congo are detailed in confidential company files obtained by this masthead.
In one company briefing, AVZ chief executive Nigel Ferguson highlighted the influence of the middleman, Marius Mihigo, by stating it was “expected” he would become the DRC’s prime minister “at some stage”. In another file, Ferguson defended wiring Mihigo an urgent $US1 million upfront payment without board approval by explaining how Mihigo could impose “his will” on unnamed Congolese figures involved in the Australian company’s fight to win the rights to mine lithium at the highly prospective Manono tenemen