Maravi

Chitoba, Koyi should not be sacred cows - Mususu

Chitoba, Koyi should not be sacred cows - Mususu
By Noel Sichalwe
Friday August 03, 2007 [04:00]

DEC Commissioner Ryan Chitoba and his deputy Jacob Koyi should not be sacred cows in the fight against corruption, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Bishop Paul Mususu yesterday said

And Evangelical Youth Alliance International president Reverend Moses Lungu who has called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Nixon Banda to resign for investigating Chitoba has been employed as DEC chaplain.

Meanwhile, two DEC employees whose letters of transfer and demotion were published in The Post on Wednesday have been charged with releasing official documents to unauthorised persons.

Commenting on the ACC investigations against Chitoba and Koyi for abuse of office, Bishop Mususu said it was sad that individuals were being protected to the extent that the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) was even able to challenge Banda to resign for investigating Chitoba and Koyi.

"There should be no sacred cow whether somebody has the right connections or not," Bishop Mususu said. "It is sad that an individual could be protected from being suspended to pave way for investigations. It shouldn't be any different from what happened to Gladys (former lands minister Gladys Nyirongo). What we need are not individuals but institutions that will run government programmes effectively. The campaign against corruption should not be looked at from individual faces or connections. That is why the majority of people involved in corruption are doing so because they are protected. That is why as a Church, it is important to fight the corruption of the yesteryear but what will be important is to stamp out corruption now."

Bishop Mususu said Chitoba and Koyi should be suspended to allow ACC conduct independent investigations. He said after the investigations, the duo could be re-instated if allegations against them would not be substantiated.

"Mr Chitoba and Mr Koyi should leave ACC to conduct their investigations properly. That is not to say he is guilty. The best thing he can do now is to step down. I am sure Zambians are watching to see how this matter will be handled," he said.
And according to the DEC order of appointment issued by DEC chief investigations officer Molly Hameja, Rev Lungu was employed on July 24, 2007 as investigations officer and chaplain.

Rev Lungu had earlier in the week accused some DEC officers of hiding the truth and called on Nixon Banda to resign. He said DEC officers claiming to have been victimised by the command were themselves unprofessional because they were trading in information and now wanted to escape the consequences of their misconduct. He said his organisation had a deliberate policy to support the government of the day and that was why he took particular interest in the activities of the government of the day.

However, Transparency International Zambia executive director Goodwell Lungu disclosed that Rev Moses Lungu was defending Chitoba and Koyi because he was looking for a job at DEC.

Goodwell Lungu said: "We are very much aware that Reverend Lungu is a very much interested party in this matter as he applied for a job as chaplain at DEC and attended interviews. We advise him not to jeopardise his chances of employment by engaging in issues he has little evidence on."

The order of appointment also indicated that DEC had employed 17 office orderlies to be stationed in Lusaka. DEC had further demoted Justin Phiri from the position of senior investigations officer to investigations office and Jacqueline Chisi from senior human resource management officer to clerical officer.

Meanwhile, about 16 DEC employees were transferred to other provinces, some on suspicion that they leaked information relating to the financial scandals at the institution.
Sources have also confirmed that two employees whose letters of transfer and demotion were published in The Post on Wednesday have been charged with releasing official documents to unauthorised persons.

"Jacqueline Chisi and Mable Lumbwe have been charged and have been asked to exculpate themselves," the sources said.

The sources have also said some of the employees who were transferred last week have started leaving to their posted stations.

"Now, we are wondering how the ACC will protect these people because they promised to stop any transfer of those people who could be potential witnesses. We are hoping that the ACC can stop these people from going away since some of them will be witnesses," said the source.

Labels: DEC, RYAN CHITOBA

posted by MrK @ 4:31 AM