ACC, DEC question Nyirongo over corruption allegations
ACC, DEC question Nyirongo over corruption allegationsBy Nomusa Michelo and Brighton Phiri
Monday March 05, 2007 [02:00]
FORMER lands minister Gladys Nyirongo was yesterday questioned by the investigations team comprising the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Office of the President (OP) and Zambia Police over allegations of corruption. And Ministry of Lands management officials have been questioned by a combined team of ACC, DEC, OP and Zambia Police to help with investigations. Nyirongo was yesterday morning dropped off at the ministry around 10:00 hours by her son Walinase and was interviewed for over an hour. The ministry has remained sealed off by security personnel. Lands deputy minister Moses Muteteka was also invited for questioning yesterday morning. Speaking after his interview at the ministry, Muteteka said since the law was taking its course, it was important to allow the investigations' team to do their work without prejudice. "We have Zambian experts, very senior investigators, we need to give them all the support to investigate. I hope that my interview with them will be useful in their investigations. As deputy minister, I am supposed to assist them with any information that they may need," he said.
According to sources, all management officials were being called in for questioning at the ministry from last Wednesday when investigations began. "They are doing a thorough job. They are questioning everyone from management," the source said. "They should get to the bottom of it if they are to get the facts. They should concentrate on the lands department where most of these things happen," the source said. Both Nyirongo and former acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands Frightone Sichone have been questioned and had their homes searched by the investigations team.
President Levy Mwanawasa last week fired Nyirongo over allegations of corruption and suspended Sichone over allegations of abuse of authority. Prior to his appointment as acting permanent secretary, Sichone was Commissioner of Lands.
And Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has accused President Mwanawasa of being biased in the manner he handled Nyirongo and Sichone's cases of alleged corrupt practices.
Commenting on Nyirongo's dismissal and the suspension of Sichone, Brig Gen Miyanda questioned President Mwanawasa's comments on Nyirongo and Sichone's alleged corrupt practices. "The removal of Reverend Nyirongo from her position as minister is the President's prerogative. He has the legal authority to appoint and remove as he pleases...I have not taken issue with that. I am reluctant to comment directly on the allegations raised against the former minister, permanent secretary and Commissioner of Lands because the investigations have been set in motion and it will be unfair to the whole process to dwell on the allegations that have been announced by the President," Brig Gen Miyanda said.
"However, I feel I should comment because there are fundamental lapses in the manner in which the President announced his involvement in investigating and dealing with the suspects. I was tempted to congratulate the President as has been done by other people including Transparency International Zambia, but the President's own comment which accompanied his decision has made me withhold my congratulations because I take his remarks to be contradictory." He said President Mwanawasa's remarks on Nyirongo and Sichone raised unanswered questions. He said President Mwanawasa's attacks on Nyirongo for having reported Sichone to ACC was a danger to the whistle-blowers.
He wondered why President Mwanawasa was generous with his words on Sichone, who seemed to have had more allegations levelled against him as exposed by The Post more than Nyirongo.
"I sense from the President's remarks that he was reluctant to deal with Mr Sichone," he said. Brig Gen Miyanda wondered why it had to take the President to direct the Inspector General of Police to seal off the Ministry of Lands offices and sent away the workers who were the custodians of files and other documents. He said it was curious to see Sichone being part of the search team at the Ministry of Lands. "It is not far-fetched to say that during such searches, sensitive documents go missing and other evidence is planted. I question the sending away of all workers. I fear that Rev Nyirongo's skeletons will be found and many others (other people's skeletons) will be buried if not destroyed," he said. "I am afraid the President's handling of the two people raises unanswered questions. It seems he was angry with Nyirongo for reporting Sichone to ACC."
Brig Gen Miyanda wondered why President Mwanawasa chose to send Nyirongo to an international conference on corruption when he had reports of her allegedly being involved in corruption.
He said it was embarrassing for the country to have a minister, who was allegedly involved in corruption, to lead a high-powered delegation to an international conference on corruption. He said Zambia was in a serious dilemma as corruption levels had reached a stage where no one could be trusted, the President inclusive. "Even investigators cannot be trusted judging by the reports we read about the goings-on in the Task Force," he said. "The police cannot be trusted...army cannot be trusted...councillors cannot be trusted...members of parliament cannot be trusted...ministers cannot be trusted...politicians cannot be trusted...the President cannot be trusted...chiefs cannot be trusted and even the Church cannot be trusted. This is a serious dilemma."
Brig Gen Miyanda said it was wrong for President Mwanawasa to suggest that he and Secretary to the Cabinet were the only ones with the responsibility of reporting anybody to the ACC because there was no law that supported President Mwanawasa's claims. "If this is the way the corruption fight has been fought, then it explains why it takes so long to act on cases because the President has no time to receive all cases of corruption and other crimes before submitting them to ACC," he said. He said it was high time Zambians acknowledged that they encouraged corruption by their conduct of public affairs. Brig Gen Miyanda said if Zambians took the trouble of checking records dealing with land matters, they would discover that corruption did not start with Nyirongo and Sichone. "It seems Zambians believe that the more laws or new constitution you make, the better the country. But what we need is a change of heart and denouncing everything we have done wrong so far," he said. "Twenty thousand hectares of land in Mpika as announced by the President is not the first one as there are several including the 10,000 hectares of land in Mkushi on which government remained quiet for a very long time."
Brig Gen Miyanda called for national prayers against the spirit of corruption, which he said was ruling Zambia in all the institutions. He said President Mwanawasa should lead the country in discouraging foreign and local organisations from presenting gifts with hidden motives. He asked President Mwanawasa to refrain from making sensational announcements, which did not add value to the stature of his office. "Announcing the loss of three trillion kwacha at a political party gathering, then correcting it at MMD function, it is out of character of the President's office. What value did it add to the President's CV?" he asked. "I hope my comments will encourage the President and not attract his wrath because they are made in good faith and hope to contribute towards change in the manner we conduct ourselves in public affairs."
Brig Gen Miyanda commended The Post for remaining undaunted despite continued threats and attacks. He praised The Post for exposing the ills in the country. "I hope a day will come when the other newspapers that do not play this role, will join this style of reporting issues of public affairs in a professional manner," said Brig Gen Miyanda. "If The Post had not exposed the latest scandals at the Ministry of Lands, government probably would not have acted as they have done now."
Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION, LAND, MINISTERS
posted by MrK @ 4:53 AM
6 Comments:
Actually, if this pans out, I am much more impressed with Levy Mwanawasa than with anything the MMD have done with respect to the economy. If the issue of corruption can be fixed by tightening up procedures, monitoring all incomes and expenditures, and digitizing the state, that would be a huge achievement. It would also save Zambia hundreds of millions of dollars from inefficiency and corruption alone.
Poor Nyirongo must be a child of God and ,God will chastise hes own when they err knowingly,a five year retrospective corruption investigation would be the best thing to do. From a mini investigation,the top officials at lands own most of the lusaka prime land. or are they quickly selling out....? everyone whose ever been something at this ministry owns land in abundance.
weather or not levi is convinced at list in the process hes exposing corruption which will eat him too, from the way things are goin.
What Gen. Miyanda says makes sense. The unfortunate thing is that we are now reduced as a nation to waiting for the POST to be in the forefront of fighting corruption. Were it not for the POST we would never have known about ZAMTROP and other issues.
Without the POST Bulaya would be a free man today thanks to the president and George Kunda who tried to suppress the truth.
Somehow I don't really have faith that much will come out of this investigation more so that the govoernments position always seems to be one of reacting to the POST.
lets not get too excited or overzealous, the current fight against corruption is Just a litmus test agaisnt the goverment,so far the colours we are getting are no where near clear cut. The peace we have enjoyed has come at a great price,
Zambians shall not be found wanting in the court of common sense.
I understand the caution, and when they are found wanting,I'm sure we'll all be there to direct them to the right path.
However, starting to really tackle corruption is one of several things that have to be done to move the nation forward.
Hundreds of millions of dollars a year are lost to inefficiency, graft and by leaving them languish in domestic accounts.
The result will have to be, that government and payment systems become electronic, because if they are, corruption becomes much more difficult.
corruption in zambia MrK happens at the point of data entry eg
70 thousand kwacha is the unit price for the passport,but in reality it costs 300pin,on paper alls fine electronically or manually. you pay the 70pin,then top up for the pp to come out the same day, if not they tell you It will take six months, if you argue they report you to the op whose office is right there, as being corrupt!
I hope you understand the "pin" phrase...
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