Pressure on Chiluba will continue - Teta
Pressure on Chiluba will continue - TetaBy Bivan Saluseki
Friday May 18, 2007 [04:00]
PRESSURE on former president Chiluba will continue until the man owns up, MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba said yesterday. Tetamashimba said if it were possible, even the money government had allocated for Chiluba's house should be used for other projects that would benefit the people.
"The pressure is going to continue on Chiluba. He has to own up. The pressure will continue. He had his time to defend himself. He is saying he wants to appeal, he wants to appeal for what?" he asked.
Tetamashimba said Chiluba should not feel that the kind of pressure he was experiencing now would be the last.
“He is a very lonely man. There is a lot of pressure on him,” said Tetamashimba.
He said Chiluba had been given an opportunity to defend himself but even for the criminal case in Zambia, he had used illness as a scapegoat.
He said Chiluba before the 2006 elections openly campaigned for PF president Michael Sata on the Copperbelt and he (Tetamashimba) witnessed that.
Tetamashimba said MMD had welcomed the London judgment including the support by donors.
He said the MMD had made Zambians believe in the fight against corruption, which the President had been pursuing.
Tetamashimba gave credit to The Post for exposing corruption. Tetamashimba said prior to the last elections, Sata had written off the allegations against Chiluba and even talked of forgiving him but now had seen what Judge Peter Smith had revealed.
Tetamashimba said benefits given to a former president were not free for all.
“It’s not free for all. It’s according to the way you behave yourself,” he said.
Tetamashimba said Chiluba stopped the same benefits from being given to Dr Kaunda and at some point brought officers from Scotland Yard as explained by Dr Kaunda.
Tetamashimba said had Chiluba’s house been constructed, it would have been one of the assets to be seized.
Tetamashimba said if there was any money, which was supposed to be used on Chiluba’s house, the government could ‘recover’ the money by not constructing it.
He said President Mwanawasa had been vindicated.
“I just hope that politicians who had been stealing had learnt a lesson,” he said.
Tetamashimba said the judgment had come at the right time and would teach government workers in the habit of stealing a lesson.
Tetamashimba said journalists should be able to write about politicians’ thefts even as they were in government.
“If we are thieves, talk about us when we are in government,” he said.
Tetamashimba said Chiluba should not even talk about President Mwanawasa being a beneficiary of the plundered money because every Zambian was entitled to medication outside the country.
He said there was a time when Zambians wanted to know how the money was plundered and how President Mwanawasa benefited but Chiluba failed to provide proof.
“He should have gone to testify. Was he fearing because he was involved in plunder?” he asked.
Tetamashimba thanked The Post for exposing Chiluba’s plunder despite the arrests made during his government when the paper wrote that Chiluba was a thief.
Some European nations and the United States observed in a joint statement on Wednesday that Chiluba’s judgment was a historic victory for the people of Zambia.
Denmark, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America stated that the money stolen by Chiluba and his co-defendants could now be returned to Zambia to be invested.
The donors stated that the judgment was likely to have an impact on corruption in Africa and globally.
“It is courageous that the government of Zambia has pursued this case and that a former head of state has been held accountable for corrupt activity in this way. This is likely to have an impact on corruption in Africa and globally.
We look forward to a continued commitment by the government of Zambia and the President to the fight against corruption and wish them further success in bringing those who have stolen from the people of Zambia to justice. We also look forward to a further institutionalisation of the fight against high level corruption in Zambia,” they stated.
And finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa said Chiluba’s US $41 million theft was a tip of the iceberg.
Shakafuswa warned Chiluba that the government would move a motion to suspend his benefits if he continued being stubborn.
About two weeks ago the London High Court established that Chiluba and others defrauded Zambia a total of US $41 million through the BK Facility and Zamtrop Account in London.
Judge Peter 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: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, CHILUBA, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA
posted by MrK @ 4:52 AM
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