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Calls for Mutembo’s removal are vindictive - Bishop Chihana

Calls for Mutembo’s removal are vindictive - Bishop Chihana
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Thursday, April 02, 2009 3:31:09 PM

INTERNATIONAL Fellowship of Christian Churches (IFCC) president Bishop Simon Chihana yesterday said calls for the removal of Mutembo Nchito as Task Force on Corruption prosecutor are based on vindictiveness and vengeance.

In an interview, Bishop Chihana wondered in whose interests the calls to have Nchito removed from the Task Force on Corruption were.

“Organisations that are said to have been owed money by Zambian Airways should have been the ones taking the matter to court. It is not a criminal offence for the police to come in and give warn and caution statements to the two gentlemen but therefore to say Mutembo be removed as a prosecutor is not in good faith but based on being vindictive and some type of vengeance,” Bishop Chihana said. “There must be a moment whereby they sit down and think through, in what interest are we doing this? Are we doing it in the interest of the nation? Or are we doing it in the interest of our political mileage?”

Bishop Chihana said the stance taken by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) that Nchito should be heard before any judgment could be passed on his job as Task Force on Corruption prosecutor was good.

“I would support the stand that has been taken by the Law Association of Zambia. That is the right procedure and we should be growing and maturing our democracy,” Bishop Chihana said. “It is important that if they have found someone wanting and they know what offences are alleged to have been committed, not only in the courts of law, but to the public institution for the people to know that these are the reasons we are taking them to court.”

Bishop Chihana said much as recording a warn and caution was procedural, it was not right to question Zambian Airways chief executive officer Nchito and Post editor Fred M’membe without revealing what wrongs they had committed.

He challenged government to take M’membe and Nchito to court for people to know what offences they had committed.

“It is not right to question Fred and Nchito because what problem have they caused that one would deem criminal offence that they should be called and cautioned?” asked Bishop Chihana. “Is it a criminal offence to fail to run a business? Unless they have stolen, which is not the case. And if I fail to pay back money I must not be taken to the police but I should be taken to court as a direct matter.”

Last Sunday, Forum for Leadership Search (FLS) executive director Edwin Lifwekelo called for Nchito’s resignation from the Task Force on Corruption following the recording of a warn and caution from him by law enforcement agencies over Zambian Airways’ debt to National Airports Corporation Limited.

Labels: MUTEMBO NCHITO

posted by MrK @ 2:31 PM