Maravi

Rupiah explains why he’s oppossed to appealing Chiluba’s acquittal

Rupiah explains why he’s oppossed to appealing Chiluba’s acquittal
By Mutuna Chanda in Solwezi
Sun 15 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he refused to appeal Frederick Chiluba's acquittal, branding the lawyers at the dissolved Task Force on Corruption as selfish people who wanted to make business out of politics.

Wrapping up his over 24-hour campaign tour of Solwezi Central Constituency on Friday at a rally at Kyawama Market to drum up support for the MMD candidate in the November 19 parliamentary by-election Albert Chifita,

President Banda wondered how he could have looked for another US $13 million to pay the lawyers who had already been paid US $13 million for prosecuting former president Chiluba for theft of US $500,000.

“I want the people of Zambia through you to tell me today what to do. This case took seven years to prosecute; the Zambian government, the Zambian people, the Zambian treasury paid the lawyers, the lawyers who were prosecuting this case over US $13 million in order to find Mr Chiluba guilty of that case," President Banda said.

"The case with these lawyers who were prosecuting president Chiluba was that he had stolen US $500,000 only. So must we continue, must I look for another US $13 million to give these people who were prosecuting the former president another US $13 million who are prosecuting a case US $500,000? Would you the Zambian people think I am okay in my mind to do that? How many clinics, how many hospitals, how many houses, how many roads can we repair with US $13 million?

Must we give this money to a group of people calling themselves lawyers in order to continue to prosecute without a guarantee they will win this case this time around. They lost it, they made us spend this money they assured the government. I remember myself being told by the lawyers who were prosecuting this case that 'we have caught him, Chiluba will go to prison. We've got evidence in two three months time Mr vice-president Chiluba will be prosecuted.' They were telling lies.

“So would it be wise for me to say the same people 'go ahead and go prosecute' and then come and lose again and lose another US $13 million just for the sake, perhaps I should understand them, they are selfish people, people who just want to make business out of politics. To you the Zambian people who need this money so badly, who are hungry, who need development, to you they are telling you that this is the fight against corruption but the truth is they are expanding based on the money which should come to you. So I refused I said I am sorry I don't handle these matters the judiciary itself will decide, the DPP Director of Public Prosecutions will decide if he wants to appeal not me. If I appealed the same people would have turned round and said I am interfering with the Judiciary.”

President Banda said Zambia's liberation leaders anchored the country on the three arms of the government, the executive, judiciary and legislature.
“There have been accusations against me and my government that we are not fighting corruption, that we are not fighting corruption because they say we should appeal against the judgment of the court who released president Chiluba from his case.

Our founding fathers, those who founded this country and any country that is worth referring to; that the government would be based on three pillars; there will be Parliament, there will be courts and then there will be the executive,” he said. “When there is a case the courts decide. In this particular case of former president Chiluba he had been in court for the last seven years long before I became vice-president. During that time the newspapers attacked him, they called him a thief, they called him all kinds of names that he was a criminal forgetting that they were the ones who were in the forefront to have him elected.

They said that the President and the government have refused to go to court and appeal against the judgment of the court. Mr Sata had been put in prison sometime ago if you remember under the allegation that he had stolen a car. When the judge passed judgment, they decided that Mr Sata was innocent. The government did not go to court to appeal for Mr Sata to go back and getting tried despite the fact we took him to court as a government for the theft of car. He was happy, the judiciary ruled in his favour. Now his very good friend; they were very good friends with president Chiluba. When president Chiluba gave him ministries he was so happy...

He and his friends are saying that the government must appeal in the case of president Chiluba.”
President Banda said he would stand firm to defend Zambia's Constitution and ensure that nobody interfered with the three arms of the government.
“No amount of pressure or abuse on me personally will make me move from that principle of defending the institutions of this country,” President Banda said. “They can do whatever they want.

They can try and prop up the pact, as long as I am alive I will fight together with my colleagues to make sure that this country, it remains a country for everybody. They are going round trying to incite people to go on strike, to incite people to destroy property, I will deal with them. Those people who burnt the cars of the people in Chingola we will find them and they will go to jail while Hakainde and PF are outside.”
He said the PF and UPND pact led by Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema respectively was driven by hatred.

“Everyday you read in The Post Newspaper; this government, meaning the government of Mr Banda, is a corrupt government; this government has done this, has done that. It should not be given money for development, inciting our cooperating partners from Europe and America and Asia not to work with us so that you people may suffer just in order for them to come to power,” he said. “Fortunately lies do not stick.”

President Banda said The Post had attacked all the country's heads of state and had no moral right to talk about late president Mwanawasa's legacy.
“I think the older people here know when president Kaunda was President he was attacked every single day, when president Chiluba came he was bashed, he was attacked, all kinds of things were said about him. Our late beloved president, president Mwanawasa was tortured on a daily basis like they are trying to do to me; told lies about him and just to show how shameless they are now that he has passed on he is a hero. They are trying to bash me saying I am not following the legacy of president Mwanawasa.

Who are you to talk about the legacy of president Mwanawasa when you hated him so much? Awame lelo aa Mwanawasa Mwanawasa is good today? So I hope you people when you read this paper you can see that,” President Banda said. “I liked it, the other day they had a story from Mr Sata saying 'no Mr Banda is ugly I am more handsome' I wish he was coming here so the ladies can tell us who looks less ugly than the other.”
He urged the people of North Western Province not to be cheated by anyone.
“Don't allow anybody to cheat you, this province was behind all the other provinces of Zambia.

There were no developments here...there were no new schools being built in North Western Province, there were no attention to medical facilities for the people and at that time when things were happening some of these people who are telling you that things are so bad in Zambia were leaders and they didn't do anything then.

They are saying that this mine Kansanshi Mine is doing nothing for the people of this province. Yes, there are many problems that come with development. Wherever there is development there are new problems that come with it. If Solwezi was affected so badly by the presence of Kansanshi Mine if it is true that they are doing nothing, you tell me why is everybody from everywhere coming here?

What are they looking for? It is not true, I am standing in front of God and the people of Zambia. It is not true that having Kansanshi Mine, having Lumwana, having the new mine in Mwinilunga and all these new mines that are going to come to this country if we continue to work together and to be peaceful that these problems could become the number one problems of this country,” President Banda said.

“You the people of this province should protect these investments, don't be cheated. What we need to do as a people is to solve these problems that are coming as a result of these developments in our province. For me it is better to have these kinds of problems where we are developing we are saying everything around us growing but also we are seeing big problems coming up as a result...”

He said the government needed to ensure that investors in the mining industry employed the local youth, engaged in business with indigenous entrepreneurs and helped to build infrastructure such as schools among others.

He encouraged Solwezi Central Constituency voters to elect Chifita, saying he would only earn money for himself and not develop their area if they ushered in the PF and UPND pact candidate Watson Lumba.

He said this was because Lumba would have no influence on the government as he belonged to another political party, which was not part of the ruling administration.

Before the rally, President Banda toured Solwezi town centre market where he hugged late member of parliament Benny Tetamashimba's sister.
Earlier, President Banda and Sata greeted each other on the road.
This was when President Banda's convoy drove from Solwezi Radio, after the head of state appeared on a special interview and met Sata who was heading for an interview at the same radio station.

Sata said President Banda told him that he was misquoted recently when The Post published a story in which the head of state referred to the PF leader as the son of Satan.

However, Sata said he told President Banda not to worry and that he was joking on traditional cousinship lines.

Labels: CHILUBA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:51 AM