Maravi

TIZ demands full disclosure of govt's deal with Katumbi

TIZ demands full disclosure of govt's deal with Katumbi
By Noel Sichalwe
Thursday December 13, 2007 [03:01]

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka yesterday demanded a full disclosure of government's deal with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province governor Moses Katumbi. Lifuka was commenting on government's decision to discontinue cases involving Katumbi due to what they termed as insufficient evidence.

"We demand full disclosure of what this government has agreed with Katumbi and what does he expect in return from us? What is so special about the cases of Katumbi that is making government nervous and incoherent in their statement? We wish to remind government that you cannot fight corruption by using corruption or abuse of office," Lifuka said.

He said government's decision to cut a deal with Katumbi has shown that it has no serious intentions to fight corruption. Lifuka said some of the cases involving Katumbi bordered on the allegations that he was heavily involved in bank-rolling the presidential campaign for President Mwanawasa in 2001.

He said the Task Force and Vice-President Rupiah Banda were on record as having hinted that government wanted to subject Katumbi to justice for various offences. Lifuka wondered why suddenly the government has informed the nation that it has reached a settlement with Katumbi.

"This is a reckless decision which surely will remain to haunt the Mwanawasa administration for a long time," Lifuka said. "It is a precedent set which will simply fuel an increase in corruption. It is a shortsighted measure which will have long term consequences for this country. In short, the fight on corruption has fallen flat on its face and it will be hypocritical for this government to even talk about fighting corruption."

"It is this selectivity in pursuing corrupt offenders that renders the efforts of valiant and honest public servants who seek to act above board redundant. It is such acts that ignite an unbridled impunity and wastage in the use of public resources. It is this inconsistency in strategy that emboldens other alleged plunderers to tout and ridicule the whole fight against corruption. It is such unwarranted actions that continue to make Zambia rank lowly on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

" Lifuka said government position on Katumbi cases demonstrated that the Mwanawasa administration was willing to sacrifice long-term gains of running a clean government for short term gains such as maintaining good neighborliness to the DRC.

He said the whole deal epitomised the lack of any serious strategy for fighting corruption. "Unfortunately, they are sowing 'bad seeds' which will surely germinate in the future and erode the very economic gains that they are proud of today.

We will not allow this government to forget about this deal in a hurry. We promise to hold to account all those involved in cutting deals with fugitives from the law. We will ensure that the shame of these deals follow them even to their retirement.

Katumbi was demanding to be paid public resources and not the private resources of President Mwanawasa and his Cabinet ministers." "Additionally, government sued Katumbi on and behalf of the people and it is unbelievable that for a government that assumed office hanging onto the coattails of slogans like government of laws rather than men, it has only taken them less than six years to completely obliterate these well founded values and today, they are engaged in negotiations and not interrogation of alleged plunderers."

"The question is what will stop this government from cutting deals with all the remaining alleged plunderers and corrupt persons currently before the courts of laws or being investigated for their deeds? Why should huge amounts of taxpayers' money continue to be spent on the Taskforce on economic plunder only for political decisions to be made to cut deals of this nature?" Lifuka reiterated that all those who were alleged to have stolen public resources should have their day in court and that it was not correct for government to simply betray the confidence that ordinary people had in the fight against corruption by making such ill-advised actions.

Labels: KATUMBI, RUEBEN LIFUKA, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 4:40 AM