Maravi

Harrington uncomfortable with Banda’s failure to suspend Dora

Harrington uncomfortable with Banda’s failure to suspend Dora
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:45:40 AM

FORMER communications and transport minister William Harrington yesterday said he was still uncomfortable with President Rupiah Banda's failure to suspend Dora Siliya especially that the tribunal to probe her alleged abuse of office had been set up.Harrington said he had received a letter from the Secretariat of the Tribunal constituted by Chief Justice Ernest Sakala to probe communications and transport minister Siliya's alleged abuse of office and corruption, asking him to attend its sittings from next Monday and subsequently.

"I would like to commend the state for the expeditious manner in which they have handled my petition," Harrington said. "But in so saying, I would have liked the President to have acted on my letter to him wherein I stated that in the interest of a fair, free, transparent and unhindered investigative process by the Tribunal, Honourable Siliya should have been suspended pending the outcome."

He argued that with Siliya remaining at the helm of the ministry being probed by the Tribunal, the investigative process would not be meaningful.

"As you are aware, the Vice-President [George Kunda] in apparent reference to my letter to the President stated among other things that the parliamentary and ministerial code of conduct Act of 1964 does not state that anyone being investigated should be suspended," Harrington said. "Whilst respecting his prerogative, I am still uncomfortable that the status quo would remain."

Harrington also said he found it difficult to accept Vice-President Kunda's assertion that there was no precedence where a minister under probe had been told to step aside.

He said there was a recent case of Mongu Central MMD member of parliament and now North Western Province minister, Joseph Mulyata, who was dropped as Southern Province minister over his alleged involvement in the clearance of an overloaded luxury coach at Livingstone Road Development Agency (RDA) Weighbridge.

"I still insist that ideally, she [Siliya] should be relieved of her duties for the time being," said Harrington.

Justice Sakala on Thursday announced that the tribunal would comprise Supreme Court Justice Dennis K. Chirwa [chairperson], Supreme Court Justice Peter Chitengi [member], High Court Justice Evans Hamaundu [member] and deputy director-Subordinate Courts, a Mrs C. Maka Phiri [secretary].

The tribunal would commence its sittings on March 2, 2009 at 09:00 hours in Court Room No. 2 at the Supreme Court Building and would be open to the public.

Among the issues that Siliya will be probed on include the questionable awarding of a US$2 million contract to RP Capital Partners of Cayman Islands to valuate Zamtel's assets pending the partial privatisation of the parastatal company and her cancellation of a duly awarded contract for the delivery and installation of radars at the Lusaka and Livingstone international airports.

Labels: DORA SILIYA, PRIVATISATION, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM HARRINGTON, ZAMTEL

posted by MrK @ 8:46 AM