Maravi

Banda paid rebel PF MPs – Sata

Banda paid rebel PF MPs – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 4:40:13 PM

OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday charged that President Rupiah Banda corruptly gave PF ‘rebel’ members of parliament over K20 million each tocampaign for him during last year's presidential elections.

In an interview, Sata said he had evidence that President Banda met the ‘rebels’ last year at Government House and they were given K20 million each to campaign for him.

"It is undisputed. Nobody can deny that Frederick Chiluba organised the rebels and they were ferried to Government House and they received more than K20 million each and those from Luapula received double each," Sata said.

"Some people they gave K20 millions did not accompany them. They came with me in Northern Province. They used that money to buy fuel for their vehicles. They joined me from Mpika, to Mbala and other areas. So I challenge Rupiah Banda to deny that he did not give that money to the rebels. I challenge the rebels to deny that they did not receive this money."

Sata said he had 'former rebel' members of parliament who were ready to come out on record should President Banda and the rebel parliamentarians deny the assertions. He said some former ‘rebel’ parliamentarians were troubled in their conscience over the K20 million they received.

"We have empirical evidence to show that these [rebel members of parliament] people are ... but they cannot be investigated because they are part of the system. These are people who are supposed to be questioned by [Inspector General of Police Francis] Kabonde because they took taxpayers’ money which they did not work for, and not clean people like [Zambian Airways chief executive officer] Mutembo Nchito and [Post editor] Fred M'membe," Sata said.

"Should they refuse [the assertions], we have members of parliament whose conscience has been chewing them who are ready to come out in the open."

Some rebel PF parliamentarians last year campaigned for President Banda.

"Like [Bahati PF member of parliament] Besa Chimbaka whom they even bought a generator to donate to a certain clinic in Mansa," said Sata.

However, some ‘rebel’ members of parliament reformed and campaigned for Sata.

Sata wondered how the government would be able to fight corruption when top leaders in the country were involved in the vice.

He reiterated that President Banda was a wrong person to talk about the fight against corruption because his political background was littered with corruption scandals.

And Sata challenged ‘rebel’ members of parliament who had continued to defy party directives to resign from PF. He said they should resign and join failed politicians like President Banda and Chiluba.

Sata said now that they had been given a permanent injunction, they should go to the High Court and explain why they should not be expelled from PF.

Labels: CHILUBA, PF, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:51 PM