Maravi

Rupiah couldn’t stand Chiluba going to jail

Rupiah couldn’t stand Chiluba going to jail
Written by John Chanda in Kasama
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 7:20:05 PM

ZAMBIA’S President Rupiah Banda has disclosed that he would have been miserable if former president Frederick Chiluba was found guilty and sent to prison on corruption charges. And President Banda said Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga was free to appeal against the acquittal of Chiluba if he wishes to.

During a closed-door meeting with public service workers at Kasama's Sinamu Lodge last Sunday evening, President Banda said Chiluba's acquittal had brought relief to the nation. He said jailing Chiluba would have brought a lot of complications to his government.

“If Chiluba had not been acquitted and was found guilty, that would have been a miserable day for me because I would have to think 'where am I going to keep a former president? Can I allow a former president to go in prison? Can I allow him to sleep on the floor?” President Banda asked.

He said Chiluba was still a popular figure in the country.

“Yes, you hate the guy but you [pointing at workers in the meeting] have to think through that he was your president particularly you here in Northern Province and Luapula. You voted for him overwhelmingly, I didn't. I was in UNIP [fighting] against him. Most of you voted for him,” President Banda said.

He praised Chiluba's record as president.

“In addition to the cases for which he has been accused of, he did a lot for Zambia. He liberated the people of Zambia for the second time. There was a one party state in the country of which I was part of that government," he said.

President Banda said he had nothing to do with the corruption charges that Chiluba faced in court because at the time Chiluba was charged with corruption, he was at his farm in Chipata.

“So the issues that president Chiluba found himself in, I was not even there. I was sitting at my farm in Chipata doing my agriculture. [When] I came as Vice-President, by that time, Chiluba was already being judged. He was not found guilty. [But] now I'm being told 'you must go back [to court]. You must appeal [against the acquittal of Chiluba]’. I am not a robot to be told to do what everybody is telling me without thinking through," he said.

President Banda said he had not stopped Mchenga from appealing against Chiluba’s acquittal because he respects the independence of the judiciary.

“If he [Mchenga] wants to appeal, let him appeal. I don't interfere with the judiciary whatsoever. I am very proud that I have not locked up anyone for political reasons or whatsoever,” President Banda said.

However, he said he had consulted a lot on Chiluba’s acquittal and established that it was not necessary for the government to appeal against the judgment.

“I have consulted deeply on this matter. My feeling is that it is not my business to take president Chiluba back to court. You may not like it, but that is it. It is not my business. It is the business of those who earn their livelihood from taking people out there [court] like the DPP,” he said.

President Banda promised to continue honouring Chiluba.

“To say that he doesn't deserve any attention from a sitting president is wrong. In any case, I am only sitting president now, come 2011 [general elections] I could become ex-president,” he said.

He said Chiluba and Dr Kenneth Kaunda deserved respect from Zambians. President Banda said he was proud to interact with Chiluba and Dr Kaunda at state functions.

“I have an old list [at State House] which was drawn in 1964 and is updated every year, so that new leadership can come to be invited to state functions. So it is that list where president Chiluba appears as former president, where president Kaunda appears as former president and they are always invited to state functions. But it is up to these presidents to come or not to come. I am fortunate that they have understood that I welcome all of them,” President Banda explained.

He said there was nothing wrong with him interacting with Chiluba during public events.

“For me he [Chiluba] is a former president. Whenever we have a function, I will make sure that the country notices that I notice the presence of president Chiluba and president Kaunda because they are my predecessors. I have to give them respect,” President Banda said.

Recently on Kasama’s Radio Mano, works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti said it would have been expensive to jail Chiluba.

Mulongoti said some people should go to jail while others remain.

Ndola High Court Registrar Jones Chinyama recently acquitted Chiluba on charges of embezzling US $500,000.

The state appealed the judgment but Mchenga withdrew the notice of intention to appeal on grounds that it was purported to have been done in his name.

Later, Mchenga said the state would not appeal against Chiluba’s acquittal because the grounds of appeal were weak.

And President Banda urged his critics to be sober in their criticism and urged people to refrain from fabricating lies about innocent people.

“When you are making criticism, you express it in a civilised manner within the rules of democracy which demands that you don't lie about other people,” he said.

President Banda said he was better than Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata in all spheres of life.

“He [Sata] knows the truth that I am bigger than him. He is only a president of a defeated party. He also knows in our generation we have grown up, I have gone higher than him [education wise]. I have stood for [presidential] election only once and I have won it as president. He [Sata] stood three times and lost all," President Banda said.

He urged public service workers in Kasama to vote for MMD parliamentary candidate Burton Mugala in Thursday’s Kasama Central by-election because he was hard working.

“You must choose someone who is going to add value to the development of where you are. You are MMD although you don't want to say it. You are part of what we are doing, so you have to vote for us and make sure we gang up and provide support to our people,” he said.

President Banda said if PF candidate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, commonly known as GBM, was elected as Kasama Central parliamentarian, he would have no influence on his government.

“I'll not be able to listen to Mr GBM even if you choose him. He will never influence my government. So you are choosing him for pride. You want to prove that you can choose whoever you want,” he said.

President Banda said the government had initiated a lot of development in Northern Province.

Labels: CHILUBA, DPP, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:20 PM