Maravi

KK dismisses Chiluba's allegations as rubbish

KK dismisses Chiluba's allegations as rubbish
By Bivan Saluseki
Wednesday May 16, 2007 [04:00]

Dr Kenneth Kaunda has described as “damn right rubbish” second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s attacks and allegations of fraud and corrupt practices against him. In an interview yesterday, Dr Kaunda said instead of Chiluba trying to sway Zambians, he should be brave enough to ask for forgiveness from the people he had stolen from.

Dr Kaunda said he did not want to quarrel with Chiluba but had been forced to respond because of the allegations raised against him. "He just wants to say to the outside world, that even Dr Kaunda, the first president, was corrupt. That's damn right rubbish," he said.

"I thank you young people for your exposé, for exposing Chiluba's problem. As always, the truth on which you based these expositions should have made Chiluba apologise to the nation but he is not that type. As to what he has said about me, only the book by Andrew Sardanis...your readers will see what Andrew Sardanis has said."

Dr Kaunda said in one of the cases Chiluba had referred to, he even fired the permanent secretary and that everything that Chiluba was saying was meant to tarnish his image.

"I think that what we do in this case is to say this to the nation; there are important cases coming up relating to Mr Chiluba. Let him attend to those. I don't think I should make a match between him and myself because it's not. Let him face the truth as it has been brought before him both in London and here. He is under charge. Let him face those. Let the truth come out. We hope similar things will happen here at home," he said.

Chiluba in his statement had said he passed the former Presidents Benefits Act of 1993 to cater for the welfare of former heads of state, as Dr Kaunda had not prepared for his and other leaders' retirement. But Dr Kaunda said there was an Act of Parliament which dealt with looking after leaders in his government but Chiluba abolished it immediately he came to power.

Dr Kaunda said Chiluba even started pursuing some of the leaders in the UNIP government, reducing them to beggars and even prosecuting them. "These are people who had nothing else. When we provided something, he destroyed that," he said.

Dr Kaunda said Chiluba brought in officers from the Scotland Yard to investigate him but they found nothing. "The things he talked about, they did not succeed. It's not that we stole. We did not steal. Those who stole, they were dealt with. There was a mechanism. Everybody knew about the projects. Not all projects succeeded. It's not every project that succeeds, but we did not steal," he said.

And on Chiluba's travel allowances, which he claimed were sufficient to build houses and send children to school, Dr Kaunda said Chiluba should not hide in allowances but be brave and ask for forgiveness for stealing.

"It's not correct at all. These allowances, I myself did not even remember getting them. I did not put allowances in my pocket. They were handled by my staff. How much is presidential allowance to build a house? He wants to divert us, poor man!" said Dr Kaunda. He should just be brave and own up and ask for forgiveness."

On Monday, Chiluba requested Dr. Kaunda not to issue unguarded statements designed to heighten emotions over his London judgment.

Chiluba accused Dr Kaunda of fraud and corrupt practices as contained in businessman Andrew Sardanis' book, which according to Chiluba, discusses the loss of US $250 million in 1973 through the abrogation of mining agreements, and ZIMCO bonds issued thereafter.

Chiluba said it was not strange that Dr Kaunda had always joined forces that raised a smear and sustained campaign against him. About two weeks ago, Judge Smith established that Chiluba and others defrauded Zambia a total of US $41 million through the BK Facility and Zamtrop Account in London.

Judge Smith ordered Chiluba and others to pay about 85 per cent of the total sum within 14 days upon service. The London court upheld the claim by the Attorney General of Zambia and found Chiluba and others liable and ordered that defendants compensate or account for a total amount of approximately US $41 million.

Judge Smith established that Chiluba breached his fiduciary duty owed to the country and gave dishonest assistance in the Arms Sale (B.K. Facility) and he was therefore liable to pay US $20.9 million. The Attorney General can register the Judgment using the provisions contained in foreign judgments reciprocal enforcement Act.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, KENNETH KAUNDA

posted by MrK @ 9:29 PM