Honest scammer?

I received this email today. I've copied and pasted it verbatim, bolding a few interesting items.

From the Desk of:
ENGR. Rahji Abdullah ,
DIRECTOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION,
DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY,
NESLSON MANDELA BUILDING,
PRETORIA SOUTH AFRICA.

ATTENTION;CHIERMAN /CO,Etc.


URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL

It is my great pleasure in writing you this letter on behalf of my
colleagues. Your particulars were given to me by a member of the South
Africa Export Promotion Council (S.E.P.C) (They seem to think that these
bracketed initials will impress, and use them often.) who was with the
federal government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition.

I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution
of the deal described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you
will keep it as top secret (He does not want you to talk to a friend who
might know all about these scams.) because of the nature of this business.

I am ENGR. Rahji Abdullah,

Director Of Project Implementation, South Africa Department of Minerals &
Energy I am making this contact with you, based on the committee's need for
an individual/company who is willing to assist us in the execution of this
business. Within the Department of Minerals & Energy, where I work as a
Director of the Project Implementation and with the good co-operation of
four other top officials, we have in our possession as over due payment
bills, totaling Twenty One Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars (US$21,500,000) (About average for a fraud e-mail.) Which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of A Foreign
Company/individual to receive the said funds on our behalf. More so, we are
handicap in these circumstances, as the South African Civil Services code of
conduct does not allow us to operate an offshore account.

Hence your importance in this transaction.

This amount( $21.5Million )represents the balance of the total contract
value executed on behalf of my ministry by a Foreign Contracting Firm, which
we the Officials over invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost
has been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of
the said amount, which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key
Tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T)?. to any Foreign Bank Account you will
provide by filing an Application through the Ministry Of Justice here in
South Africa, for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former
contractor to you.

(All sounds very straightforward, but once the bait is taken the scam
becomes more convoluted and the victim will be asked to send money for
"legal fees" or "insurance" to a newly introduced fictitious firm.
This is the advance fee, hence "the Advance Fee Scam". Western Union will be
the criminal's money transfer agency of choice. )

I have the Authority of my partners involved to propose that you should be
willing to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum is 30% of
the $21.5Million, 60% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses
and remaining 5% will be for charity organization.
The transaction it self is 100% safe, on your part provided you treats it
with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also, your area of specialization
is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction.
I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint
me.

I want to assure you that my partner and myself are in the position to make
the payment of this claim possible, provided that you can give us a very
strong assurance and guarantee that the funds will be secured and please,
remember to treat this matter very confidential, because we will not
comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government
service.

Please, reply me on my confidential email address:(LONGLEE001@YAHOO.CA)(So
confidential that he has mailed it to potential victims around the world!)
or response directly to my.

Tel: 27-835431556
Once again, remember that time is of great essence in this transaction . I
wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours Faithfully,
ENGR. Rahji Abdullah