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Kunda is the most stupid Vice-President - Mpombo

Kunda is the most stupid Vice-President - Mpombo
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 05 July 2010, 04:00 CAT

VICE-President George Kunda is a turncoat, MMD Kafulafuta member of parliament George Mpombo charged yesterday.

And Mpombo has warned that changing laws like removing the abuse of office offence from the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act will not protect Vice-President Kunda and his colleagues from prosecution when they leave office for their wrong deeds.

Commenting on Vice-President Kunda’s threats against Katuba MMD member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa with imprisonment when the latter questioned government’s motive for removing the offence of abuse of office from the revised Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act during the Friday Vice-President’s oral question and answer session in Parliament, Mpombo said Vice-President Kunda must be told in no uncertain terms that he could not be allowed to threaten people with impunity.

“Since Zambia’s independence, George Kunda is the most stupid Vice-President the country has ever had. He is the danger to democracy and he is a danger even to his own integrity,” said Mpombo, a former defence minister.

“This is the man who goes all the way to London to organise cases and the same guy comes to refurbish the Chikwa magistrates’ courts to hear Chiluba’s case at colossal sums of money and the man turns 180 degrees. The public is not foolish. George Kunda, in my view is going berserk. You don’t have a guy like this of a Vice-President and Minister of Justice.”

Mpombo accused Vice-President Kunda and President Rupiah Banda of usurping the powers of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

“George Kunda and RB have ganged up to reduce the DPP office to that one as President Banda’s special assistant for miscarriage of justice. They are not handling issues on equal basis. Kunda must be told in no uncertain terms that he cannot be allowed to threaten people with impunity,” Mpombo said.

“As far as I am concerned myself, I want to say clearly and categorically that certainly the leadership we have in the name of George Kunda is a tragedy for Zambia and this man is trying to do everything possible to cling to that job. If he had the opportunity to have his motorcade in the air, flying, George Kunda would easily do that – motor vehicles in the air.”

Mpombo said Zambia was a democratic country hence government leaders must uphold good governance.

“Good governance must cut across the entire nation, across political line. Good governance is the one that gives confidence to the people that their government is fair and is serious,” Mpombo said.

“But this man Vice-President Kunda is a total disaster. Since independence of Zambia, this is the most useless Vice-President we have. He is a turncoat, he is a man who has no principles. And as Minister of Justice, what is he telling Rupiah Banda?”

Mpombo said Vice-President Kunda was misadvising his boss.

“All this nuisance that is happening about people not going to court like in Mufumbwe, it’s George Kunda’s responsibility. It’s the Ministry of Justice to ensure that there is fair justice for all the people of Zambia, there are no double standards in the administration of justice in the country but this chap is so…

I don’t know,” Mpombo said. “Rupiah Banda should drop this man because this man has done colossal damage to the nation and, therefore, I don’t think this is the man we should have as a nation for a Vice-President. He is a total disgrace.”
Mpombo warned Vice-President Kunda and his colleagues that they would leave government and the same police officers they are using to harass their opponents would be taking them to court for trials.

“They cannot protect themselves when they leave office. It’s an act in futility. These chaps must know that one day they will leave office. The same officers they are using will be the ones giving the new government some useful hints about their activities,” Mpombo said.

“So it’s folly of the highest magnitude for one to think they will go scot free after leaving office. It doesn’t happen anywhere in the world. If they do something wrong they must know that they will be followed.”

He said it would not be possible for those in government to twist information around to cover up their misdeeds.

“The same rules they are using to harass other people, they must expect the same kind of treatment. The way they are changing and mishandling, there is a lot of misgovernment in the dispensation of the law,” Mpombo said.

“We want to ask all the NGOs who are friendly to them, they should not just attack other people but they should also try and ask George Kunda and his group to improve in their activities.”

Mpombo said it was a serious matter for Zambians that Vice-President Kunda could go on damaging the country’s integrity. He said Vice-President Kunda and his colleagues were wasting their time to change laws to protect themselves in future, arguing that such alterations would not help them.

“The police that are saluting them that bwana bazungu will be the same one who will be dragging them before court. It has happened before and they Vice-President Kunda and his colleagues are not a special breed that they should expect special treatment,” said Mpombo.

“Whether they want to hide something, in as far as I am concerned it’s folly of the highest magnitude. They will be made accountable for their misgovernment.”

During the parliamentary session on Friday, Shakafuswa sought to know the motive behind the government’s decision to remove the offence of abuse of office from the revised ACC Act.

“I’m aware that section 37 which deals with abuse of office has been left out in the revised ACC Act, what is the reason?” asked Shakafuswa.

But in response, Vice-President Kunda warned Shakafuswa that the information he disclosed to the House was classified.

“I don’t know where the MP got that information. But if he has access to classified information, it is a criminal offence because that Bill has not been tabled before parliament. We are revising the law against corruption, taking into account the past experiences in reforming the law. Don’t prejudge this before you even see the Bill,” warned Vice-President Kunda.

In the recent past, several former government leaders and three former service chiefs were convicted and imprisoned for abuse of office.

In 2008, former Zambia National Service (ZNS) commander Lieutenant General Wilford Funjika was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, quashing the two-year suspended sentence slapped on him by the magistrates court.

And in March 2009, former Zambia Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Sande Kayumba was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for abuse of office and corrupt practices.

Deputy director of court operations, Edward Musona, sitting as principal resident magistrate convicted and jailed Lt Gen Kayumba along with former ZAF chief of logistics Brigadier General Andrew Nyirongo and Base Chemicals chief executive officer Amon Sibande.

And on March 2, 2009 Lusaka magistrate Liya Tembo jailed former Zambia Army commander Lieutenant General Geojago Musengule four years after finding him guilty on charges of abuse of authority of office and corrupt practices by a public officer.

On February 14, 2009 former lands minister Reverend Gladys Nyirongo was sentenced to four years simple imprisonment after the magistrate’s court found her guilty of abuse of authority of office.

Others convicted on similar grounds are former president Frederick Chiluba’s former press aide Richard Sakala, former Zambia National Commercial Bank managing director Samuel Musonda, former finance minister and now MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, and former Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, GEORGE MPOMBO

posted by MrK @ 2:37 PM