Sata accuses Rupiah of trying to divert attention from Chiluba’s corruption cases

Sata accuses Rupiah of trying to divert attention from Chiluba’s corruption cases
Written by Patson Chilemba
Monday, July 13, 2009 7:37:34 AM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday charged that President Banda and his friends are trying to divert public attention from the existing corruption cases involving Frederick Chiluba by calling for an audit into late Levy Mwanawasa's rule.

And Sata challenged National Constitution Conference (NCC) chairperson Chifumu Banda to tell the nation if they had "blown" the more than K50 billion which was given to the Conference.

In an interview, Sata said President Rupiah Banda and his friends were trying desperately to create an impression that there was rampant corruption in late president Mwanawasa's administration.

"They are trying very hard to paint Levy Mwanawasa with corruption, and you see they are trying to bring in [Mutembo] Nchito, [Post editor Fred] M'membe and The Post, although they don't mention it," Sata said. "They are trying to divert attention from the existing corruption cases involving Frederick Chiluba to Levy Mwanawasa's regime."

And reacting to Banda's statement that the success of the NCC so far had attracted criticism from some sectors of society, Sata said Banda should stop bluffing but instead tell the nation the exact position of the Conference financially.

"We want him to confirm. Has he not paid people for two months or he has only paid himself and his leaders? He can't claim to be successful when he is reading somebody else's report. Is that what they call successful?" Sata asked. "What I am saying is why is he hiding? If he is hiding, what type of constitution are they going to enact if they have not paid people for two months?"

On Saturday, Banda said some people thought the NCC would fail and that they now wanted to be associated with its success.

Recently, Sata charged that NCC had run out of money because out of the more than K50 billion which was allocated to the conference, there was only a balance of K4 billion.