Maravi

There will be no sacred cows in ongoing probe – Rupiah

There will be no sacred cows in ongoing probe – Rupiah
Written by George Chellah
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 4:25:15 PM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said there will be no sacred cows in the ongoing corruption investigations. According to a statement issued yesterday by State House special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere, President Banda said the ongoing investigations are too serious to be trivialised or politicised in light of the amounts involved.

He said all Zambians should give necessary support and information to the investigating agencies in order for them to get to the root cause of the allegations.

President Banda said there would be no sacred cows in the ongoing investigations regardless of whether those involved were members of the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) or indeed the opposition.

President Banda said he wanted the truth to come out and that he would not shield anyone from being investigated or prosecuted once evidence was established.

He appealed to Zambians to refrain from making comments that were prejudicial to the ongoing corruption investigations in the Ministry of Health and other government departments.

President Banda said people with information regarding the beneficiaries or individuals who were involved in the corruption allegations at the Ministry of Health should report to the relevant authorities instead of issuing unsubstantiated press statements.

“The investigating agencies of government are looking for evidence. Please feel free to take evidence to these agencies instead of rushing to the press to issue unsubstantiated statements. Zambians especially, leaders should not trivialise the ongoing investigations,” said President Banda.

On Monday, PF leader Michael Sata said it was now clear that money from the Ministry of Health (MoH) was used to fund President Rupiah Banda's presidential by-election campaigns last year.

Sata challenged President Banda to deny if Ministry of Health vehicles were not used to ferry his image builders during the campaigns.

He said President Banda's administration wanted to cover up the financial scandals at the Ministry of Health because he benefited from the plunder.

Sata dared the MMD to deny having ever used Henry Kapoko's Best Home Lodge during the campaigns.

He said President Banda's government was using former Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Simon Miti and Kapoko as scapegoats in the ongoing investigations.

"The government knows what happened in the last presidential by-election. That's why I’m urging Kapoko to disclose what happened," he said.

Sata said Ministry of Health funds were always abused by the ruling MMD because they knew that it's the only government ministry with a stable inflow of cash.

Labels: CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:28 PM