Maravi

Sata questions Rupiah’s disposal of properties seized by Task Force

Sata questions Rupiah’s disposal of properties seized by Task Force
By George Chellah
Mon 15 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday challenged President Rupiah Banda to publicly disclose how properties and assets, which were seized by the Task Force on Corruption have been disposed off.

In an interview, Sata demanded that President Banda explain to the nation how some properties and assets that were confiscated were offered back to the owners. He accused President Banda of selectively dismantling the Task Force on Corruption.

“Rupiah with the help of George Kunda Vice-President has quietly given some of the assets which were confiscated to Frederick Chiluba and his associates. He has quietly and selectively done that,” Sata said.

“George Kunda was Minister of Justice when the Task Force swung into action seizing goods from all those they confiscated from including Moses Katumbi and Regina. They did that publicly. So why are they not going public when it comes to returning these same properties and assets?”

Sata said Zambians have to be fully informed about the procedures that were carried out to hand back the properties and assets.

“The nation needs a complete disclosure because the things the Task Force confiscated, they are now returning them privately. We want to know the things they confiscated, where are they? And who has gotten them? We also want to know whether this building where there is Access Bank formerly FTJ institute has been given back,” Sata said.

“They are now secretly returning the property that was confiscated so long as someone is bootlicking Rupiah Banda. Let them explain how the process of returning those assets was conducted. They should explain because we are told that they have secretly and quietly returned the properties they seized.”

On the assets seized by the Task Force from DRC Katanga Province Governor Moses Katumbi, Sata advised the government to be transparent on the matter to avoid suspicion.

“Katumbi is a high-ranking officer in a friendly neighbouring country and Zambia cannot afford to do everything under the carpet. We don’t need to do things under the carpet because at the moment the man we are dealing with, although he is our son, he is also a high profile officer in the DRC so let them be open about it,” Sata said.

“There is no need for them to be secretive on this matter because the late Levy Mwanawasa was open when dealing with issues concerning Katumbi. No wonder VJ Vernon Mwaanga went to Katanga so why should they hide when Mwanawasa, the one who started this whole process was open about it.”

Sata said Chiluba must not show Katumbi that they are doing him a favour because Mwanawasa commenced the process. He cautioned the government to stay away from President Chiluba’s suspicious deeds.

“We are supposed to be very careful because some of Chiluba’s dubious deeds nearly brought war between Zambia and Angola and we should avoid a repetition of that,” Sata warned.

And Sata has asked President Banda to tell the people of Luapula Province his development agenda for them rather than promising them the Republican Vice-Presidency which accounts for nothing.

Commenting on President Banda's promise to the traditional leadership in Luapula Province that he would appoint Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Criticles Mwansa as Republican Vice-President if they delivered the province to MMD in the 2011 presidential and general elections, Sata said there was no grain of truth in President Banda's promise, because he gave the people of Western Province the same promise which he had failed to fulfill.

He said President Banda should instead allow development to do the talking for him rather than flooding the people's minds with false alarms and promises.

"You can have the Vice-President, but the Vice-President is not development of a particular area. Central Province has George Kunda, it is just as backwards and as marginalised as any other province. Rupiah Banda was vice-president from Eastern Province, but Eastern Province is just as backwards as any province, more backwards than Northern Province. So promising the chiefs to make Chriticles Mwansa Vice-President is not the issue, the issue is what has he got for Luapula?" Sata asked.

"We have seen people lose their jobs. Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika has lost his job in the political arena. The Vice-President is just an individual who is going to get a good job and good money, like George Kunda."

Sata said PF rebel members of parliament who were with President Banda were very naive because he was in short telling them that they had no calibre to be appointed Vice-President.

Sata said with a visionary leadership, Zambia could eradicate the rampant poverty most citizens faced in less than two years.

"He is not even hiding it, he is telling them in their face that only Criticles Mwansa qualifies to be Vice-President...Peter Machungwa ditched MMD for PUDD, and then PF and now MMD. Chimbaka was MMD, and MMD rejected him. Probably now that he has been refurbished by PF, he has become a good leader," Sata said.

"They should emulate Saviour Chishimba, leave the bad leadership of the PF and join the good leadership of Rupiah Banda and Dora Siliya, so that we can go there and see who is more popular between Rupiah Banda and myself."

Labels: CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA, TASK FORCE

posted by MrK @ 3:55 PM