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Kabonde should step aside to pave way for investigations – TIZ

Kabonde should step aside to pave way for investigations – TIZ
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 22 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia yesterday asked Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde to step aside as investigations in his alleged involvement in the overpayment of K1 billion to a South African traffic equipment and car dealer are going on.

Commenting on revelations that a combined team of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Zambia Police and the Zambia Security Intelligence Service (ZSIS) recorded a warn and caution statement from Kabonde in connection with unaccounted for K1 billion overpaid to South Africa's Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Limited, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka appealed to Kabonde's professional conscience to step aside for the betterment of himself and the Zambia police.

“Primarily, our concerns about what has been reported in the media is that it needs to be handled in a very professional manner taking into consideration the position of a person concerned, the Inspector General of Police. He wields a lot of power and he can easily use his position there to, in a way, obstruct the process of the investigations,” Lifuka said.

“I think that given that position, it goes without saying that it will be appropriate for the IG to step aside and allow for unfettered investigations into the allegations that have been made against him and the former IG.”

Lifuka said Kabonde has to step aside at the earliest opportunity because this affects people's perception of the Zambia Police as being flawed with a lot of corruption.

On Wednesday last week, Kabonde appeared before a combined team of the ACC, DEC, ZSIS and Zambia Police at ACC head office in Lusaka for interrogations.
The following day, former inspector general of police Ephraim Mateyo cried during interrogation at the ACC office.

In 2006, the Zambia Police under Mateyo ordered 20 escort vehicles, 20 motorbikes, three armoured/bullet proof BMW X5 vehicles for the President from Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) but only 10 escort vehicles, 10 motorbikes and one armoured BMW X5 vehicle were delivered despite overpaying the firm by K1 billion.

Kabonde is alleged to have signed for some payments in this transaction.
But Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Limited owner Phineas Manthata told The Post on Wednesday that the Zambia Police Service owed him over 84 million rand and allegations that his firm was overpaid were “nonsense”.

Labels: ACC, FRANCIS KABONDE, INSPECTOR GENERAL, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 6:48 PM