UPND threatens to sue Siliya

UPND threatens to sue Siliya
Written by Chibaula Silwamba and Moses Kuwema

UPND vice-president Richard Kapita yesterday warned that his party would sue communications and transport minister Dora Siliya to compel her to stop dubious dealings with RP Capital in the partial privatisation of Zamtel.

And former Lusaka MMD vice-secretary Michael Phiri yesterday advised Siliya to step down and pave way for investigations in the matter in which she awarded a US $2 million contract to RP Capital without following procedures.

Commenting on Siliya's ministerial statement in which she defended her decision to award a US $2 million contract to RP Capital Partners Limited of Cayman Islands to valuate the assets of Zamtel and find an equity partner to buy some of the government's shares in the telecommunications company, Kapita said the UPND legal team had already drafted a legal document to sue Siliya over the transaction which he referred to as a scam.

Kapita warned that President Rupiah Banda's government might not last up to 2011 if it continued engaging in corrupt deals to steal money because Zambians did not give them the mandate to pilfer public resources.

“If they don't take this advice, we as UPND will sue and insist that we stop them. We are now working on this matter and for us it's very serious,” Kapita said. “Our legal team is already drafting something to ensure that we do the right thing but I will not pre-empty what they are doing. What I know is that if Dora does not stop this partnership with RP, we will take the necessary processes to legally compel her to stop and save the Zambian people from the scam.”

He said Siliya's ministerial statement in Parliament last Friday did not address the real issues which several Zambians were querying her about.

“What she said in Parliament was not correct; it's just that Zambians don't take national issues seriously. This does not require any debate. Dora must own up and stop taking Zambians for a ride because they [MMD government] thinks that by giving chitenges and mealie-meal during campaigns, they [Zambians] gave them a mandate. They did not give them a mandate to steal from Zambians,” Kapita charged. “The single sourcing doesn't work like that. How did RP or whatever they are called, know about the tender? It means that the other possible suppliers of the service have been disadvantaged because they didn't know about it. Obviously, someone from within the ministry, possibly herself, told them and that is inside trading. It's not correct.”

Kapita warned that Zambians would not allow Siliya and President Banda to go scot-free over the Zamtel and other scams.

“Zambians should condemn this and ensure that Dora stops in her tracks. If she is being arrogant then we shall say Mr Rupiah Banda is giving her that support. Mr Banda should come out and distance himself from what Dora is doing. If he doesn't, then we know that they are acting together, which should not be permitted,” Kapita said.

“I want to give Mr Banda a benefit of doubt on his statement that Dora is smarter and more intelligent than people condemning her. But if that is what he insists then we know that he is the one giving Dora the support to steal money from the Zambian people.”

Kapita said Siliya and President Banda should listen to the concerns of Zambians over the matter and respond accordingly instead of being arrogant.

“In any case, if the whole country is saying this is wrong, why should Dora and Rupiah Banda be against the Solicitor General's and Attorney General's advice?” Kapita asked. “The scandals on Zamtel, airport radars and TAZARA, it's like someone is in a hurry to make money dubiously because the elections are in the next two years. But I can assure, Zambians will stop them and two years may not even last. Something could happen even before 2011 to stop them from doing what [former president Frederick] Chiluba did.”

And Michael Phiri said failure by Siliya to step down would go against the slogan adopted by the MMD in last year's elections where it was agreed that the party would continue with late president Levy Mwanawasa's legacy on the fight against corruption and abuse of office.

"It's only fair that the perpetrators are asked to step down to allow for investigations to take place because in the 2008 elections, our slogan was continuity from where Mwanawasa left and it meant no corruption. But what continuity will be there if we start entertaining acts like these?" Phiri asked.

He recalled that when late president Mwanawasa was in office, MMD Chisamba member of parliament Moses Muteteka was dropped over some allegations concerning land allocations so as to pave way for investigations.

"This is what the continuity should be about. We have people in courts for having awarded themselves contracts without following proper procedures," said Phiri.