Maravi

Rupiah is being careless and suicidal – Kavindele

Rupiah is being careless and suicidal – Kavindele
By George Chellah
Wed 09 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

FORMER Republican vice-president Enoch Kavindele has said President Rupiah Banda is being very careless and suicidal by awarding Lusaka lawyer Dr Rodger Chongwe approximately US $5.9 million about K27.4 billion as compensation for the 1997 Kabwe shooting.

Commenting on President Banda’s instruction that Dr Chongwe be paid about US $5.9 million as compensation for the shooting where the latter and Dr Kenneth Kaunda were injured, Kavindele urged the President to exercise caution.

“Rupiah is being very careless on this matter. I would urge him to seriously look at how the decision to pay Dr Chongwe US $5.9 million was arrived at. One of the late Levy Mwanawasa’s greatest attributes was putting most of the decisions which were made in writing,” Kavindele said.

“Levy liked to write. Somewhere in government, there is a very huge file on this matter. He should involve his Vice-President George Kunda, who attended some meetings at which the decision to pay Dr Chongwe US $60,000 was arrived at. George Kunda attended those meetings as Attorney General.”

Kavindele said there was no way such a colossal amount of public funds could be paid to Dr Chongwe.

“I don’t understand why Rupiah is trying to be so suicidal on this issue. The government’s decision is there and it’s there in writing. We don’t even know how today they are talking of about US $6 million.

Those involved with this matter should know that a decision was made by government and it’s in writing,” Kavindele said. “There is a huge file…Levy wrote most of the decisions he made and there is a huge file and there are reasons there. There is no way he can pay this amount of money no! no! On this one Rupiah must agree with his predecessor.”

President Banda has directed that Dr Chongwe be paid approximately US $5.9 million as compensation for the 1997 Kabwe shooting incident in which the latter and Dr Kaunda were injured.
Well-placed sources at the Ministry of Finance have disclosed President Banda’s instructions to compensate Dr Chongwe.

But home affairs minister Lameck Mangani told the state media over the weekend that Dr Chongwe has since the judgement almost 10 years ago been pushing to be paid that amount but the government was still negotiating.

“Dr Chongwe took the matter of the Kabwe shooting incident to a court in Australia where Zambia lost the case because no official from government attended any of the court sessions there.

“The court ordered that Dr Chongwe be paid US $2.5 million and he has been pushing for that amount since then,” Mangani said.

Mr Mangani denied that President Rupiah Banda had authorised payment of US$5.9 million to Dr Chongwe as compensation and said his ministry would investigate thoroughly and establish the people leaking such information to the media which he described as inaccurate.

He said the government would not take kindly to people leaking inaccurate information bordering on national security with the aim of blackmailing government and President Banda.
Mangani said Dr Chongwe’s issue required legal opinion hence, the move by President Banda to write the Attorney General Mumba Malila seeking his opinion and guidance.

“And even that does not mean the President authorised the payment.

But even the US $2.5 million needs to be negotiated and at no time did the President authorise that the money be paid to Dr Chongwe,” Mangani said.

He said those alleging that President Banda authorised the payment should provide evidence to that effect.

Mangani said his ministry would investigate the matter and ensure that those leaking false and inaccurate information were brought to book.

He said it was worrying that information of this matter could be leaked with impunity disregarding national security and warned that the government would not take kindly with people trying to raise false alarm in the nation.

“There is need to bring sanity and as government, we will ensure that those trying to raise false alarm are brought to book by investigating thoroughly,” Mangani said.

Labels: ENOCH KAVINDELE, ROGER CHONGWE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:27 AM