Maravi

‘Smart’ Dora finally goes

‘Smart’ Dora finally goes
Written by Patson Chilemba and George Chellah
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 6:17:25 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said it is not enough for Dora Siliya to resign from Cabinet but she should go a step further by resigning as member of parliament.

And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka challenged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take interest in the tribunal's findings on Siliya.

Commenting on Siliya's resignation from her position as communications and transport minister, Sata said Siliya took oath of office to defend the Republican Constitution both as Cabinet minister and member of parliament and that she could not continue being a parliamentarian because her morality had been brought into serious question.

"She has not only breached the Constitution as Cabinet minister but also as member of parliament, so she must go," he said.

Sata called for President Rupiah Banda and Vice-President George Kunda to apologise to the nation and resign for having defended Siliya's wrongdoing.

"She has resigned. The next person who should resign is Rupiah Banda and George Kunda. They should follow suit. Let them resign on moral grounds," he said.

Sata said it was sad that Siliya piled insults and told lies against those who called for her resignation but that now she had succumbed to the truth.

He said President Banda recklessly used taxpayers money to set up a tribunal when he could have served time and money by relieving Siliya of her duties.

"Rupiah Banda was saying she [Siliya] is smarter than all of us. Kunda was saying she was right. For us to forgive her, she must open up because she was not alone when she was committing the wrong. She must tell the people everything, otherwise she will remain with the stigma," Sata said.

"Tell Rupiah Banda and George Kunda that forcing Dora to resign does not let them off the hook. She has been forced by the people to resign. If she had morality of resigning, she would not have hired those expensive lawyers. She has been used as a sacrificial lamb by Rupiah and others who are hiding their wrongdoing."

Sata said President Banda was already embarrassed and there was no need to keep more embarrassed people in the government.

Sata said Vice-President Kunda was an embarrassment because he had consistently used his position as justice minister to mislead the government and the nation.

Sata said since President Banda had campaigned on the basis of continuation of late president Levy Mwanawasa's programmes, he should as well allow the rule of the law to prevail and not that of men.

Sata asked President Banda to show seriousness and respect for the Constitution by doing what was expected of him by majority Zambians.

And TIZ executive director Goodwell Lungu welcomed Siliya's resignation, saying Zambian leaders should resign when they engaged in wrongdoing. Lungu said it was TIZ's hope that Vice-President Kunda would announce his resignation in a few days time.

He asked the law enforcement agencies to take corrective measures by following up on the many irregularities that were established against Siliya by the tribunal.

"Ourselves as civil society we have done our part, so we expect the law enforcement agencies to do their part, and we thank The Post for highlighting the matter. Without The Post a lot of things could have been hidden under the carpet. As civil society we shall continue co-operating with The Post," Lungu said.

Zambia Youth Association in the Fight Against Corruption executive director Rickson Kanema asked Siliya to resign as member of parliament because her integrity had been brought into question.

Kanema said young people had learnt a lot of things from the Siliya saga.

Earlier, Lifuka said the law enforcement agencies needed to look at the tribunal's findings on Siliya with interest.

"Now that the findings are out, we expect that every law enforcement agency will take interest in this case. If corrupt activities have been noted and are prevalent in this whole saga, we challenge the Anti-Corruption Commission and all the other law enforcement agencies connected to this matter to take interest. And we will definitely pursue them. This is something that we want to continue to raise with the ACC," Lifuka said.

Caritas Zambia executive director Samuel Mulafulafu urged the law enforcement agencies to be proactive and proceed with investigations on Siliya.

"This case was in public domain. I don't think there is any investigation agency... responsible department that has not been updated on what has been happening over this case. It was well reported according to the role of the media played," Mulafulafu said. "Why should the investigating agencies wait for us to shove this case on their throat when they are able to read and get information? They should be proactive. This information is with them, if they have to wait for us to go and make a case then they are incompetent. The information is there for them they should proceed."

The judge Chirwa tribunal found that Siliya, apart from not following tender procedures when she selected RP Capital Partners Limited to valuate the assets of Zamtel, also breached Article 54 Sub Article 3 of the Constitution for not following legal advice from the Attorney General.

Siliya was also being probed for abuse of office for cancelling a tender awarded to Thales Air Systems for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of a Zambia Air Traffic Management Surveillance Radar System (ZATM-RADAR) at Lusaka and Livingstone international airports. She was also alleged to have defrauded Petauke District Council over her claim of a refund of K12.5 million for two hand pumps for two boreholes that were sunk in Nyika ward when the actual cost of the pumps was K5 million. However, the tribunal did not find Siliya wanting on both allegations.

Labels: ACC, DORA SILIYA, GOODWELL LUNGU, PRIVATISATION, RESIGNATIONS, RUEBEN LIFUKA, SATA, THE POST, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 5:18 PM