Maravi

Chiluba shows no remorse

Chiluba shows no remorse
Written by Staff Reporter
Saturday, December 27, 2008 1:05:59 PM

“The Task Force and The Post are engaging in propaganda to shore up the collapsed public image of the Task Force,” Chiluba claimed. “In my view, the London judgment obtained by the Attorney General on behalf of the Zambian government has collapsed following a successful appeal by Meer Care & Desai who have won this case with costs.”

Chiluba said judge Peter Smith, who handed down the London judgment, was severely criticised by the House of Lords concerning the manner in which he conducted the matter.

“I recognise that the fresh judgment published today [yesterday] is a consent judgment and I will be pleased to understand the circumstances under which it was obtained as consent judgments are agreement judgments,” Chiluba said. “I say the Task Force and The Post are engaged in propaganda because the Attorney General recently lost this case and the Task Force have chosen to hide this from Zambians. I urge the Task Force to conduct its business in an honest and transparent manner and provide Zambians with all facts; whether those facts are favourable or not.”

Chiluba said Zambians had invested millions of United States dollars in the Task Force and therefore did not deserve propaganda and half-truths.

“As for The Post, the insults they pedal against me through their numerous editorials are in black and white,” Chiluba said. “These insults will not go unchallenged, they will not go without me seeking recourse because the truth will emerge one day. I will not justify my case before The Post and its editor. I am not even obliged to do that. The last seven years, I have been subjected to several cases in the courts of law and so far I believe my case lies there; not in the pages of newspapers, even when I am provoked by The Post and Task Force and public hostility is raised against me.”

Chiluba said he had human rights, integrity and dignity and these would not be striped away by The Post or Task Force on Corruption. He said at an appropriate time, appropriate legal action would be taken against The Post.

But Task Force chairman Max Nkole referred all queries to the Attorney General Mumba Malila. He said they had welcomed the consent judgment between the Zambian government and the Swiss tailor Antonio Basile. He said it was possible for the consent judgment to be entered because Basile was remorseful.

“He showed integrity and honesty by acknowledging and admitting the wrongs, he apologised,” Nkole said. “I am on record that similar cases here [in Zambia] could be concluded in a similar way if these Zambians who find themselves in these cases had the integrity to admit and apologise for their weaknesses, for things they did wrong. But we don't see from our Zambian colleagues. Antonio Basile was remorseful and so the case has ended. Anyway, for the rest of the details contact the Attorney General.”

However, Malila was unreachable by press time.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, TASK FORCE, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 1:06 PM