Sata blames Rupiah for corruption in govt

Sata blames Rupiah for corruption in govt
Written by Patson Chilemba
Sunday, May 24, 2009 4:12:55 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has blamed President Rupiah Banda for the increased corruption in government. Sata has charged that it is President Banda's double standards that have made it impossible for corrupt civil servants to be dealt with by the civil service hierarchy.

He said President Banda has no moral right to blame Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja's for failing to suspend suspected corrupt civil servants because he refused to suspend Dora Siliya's unconstitutional conduct over RP Capital Partners.

And Dr Kanganja said he could not take action against the erring officers because the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had not briefed him on the names.

Commenting on President Banda's charge on Thursday at Dr Kanganja for not suspending a former Ministry of Health official, Henry Kapoko, and other suspects over their alleged involvement in the K10 billion scam in the ministry, Sata said the President was right to call for the suspension of suspects but that he was practicing double standards because he had continued to defend former communications and transport minister Siliya's misconduct.

He said the charge against Dr Kanganja was a cover show to hide his tolerance of illegality by those who were close to him.

"He is right to ask Kanganja to suspend them but why didn't he take action himself against Dora Siliya? Why didn't he take action against [works and supply minister] Mike Mulongoti for saying that he will not take action over [local government deputy minister Chrispine] Musosha's shoddy job on the roads? And he is talking about Kanganja, he is the President, can't he suspend those civil servants?" Sata asked.

And Dr Kanganja said he could have suspended the suspects already if the ACC had briefed him on the names.

"I asked them last week to brief me on the names but they did not do that. I should have suspended the people. I was only seeing these things in the newspapers. I am being briefed today [Friday] by ACC. How could I have taken action without being briefed? I have asked them 'tell me which people should I suspend, and they have not come to me'," said Dr Kanganja.

However, the ACC on Friday during a briefing said they would forward a comprehensive list of officials involved in the scam at Ministry of Health to Dr Kanganja this week.

The ACC said the magnitude of the matter at hand was not only complicated but also required thorough investigations before names of suspects could be forwarded to Dr Kanganja for action.

Closing the Zambia International Business Advisory Council (ZIBAC) meeting at Zambezi Sun Hotel, President Banda said he was being attacked over the K10 billion scam and yet when the civil servants were stealing the money, he was not there.

President Banda said while he was being attacked over corruption in the Ministry of Health, the civil servants that were involved in the alleged theft were still in public service without being attacked or questioned.