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Kunda says no regrets taking Chiluba’s cases to London

Kunda says no regrets taking Chiluba’s cases to London
By Florence Bupe
Sat 13 Nov. 2010, 04:02 CAT

VICE-President George Kunda yesterday said he does not regret taking former president Frederick Chiluba’s corruption cases to the London High Court because he was acting on instruction from the Levy Mwanawasa government.

And Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has cautioned The Post, former Kitwe mayor Luxon Kazabu, Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) information officer Obby Chibuluma and South Africa-based Professor Michelo Hansungule for what he termed disregard for parliamentary privileges.

Responding to Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima’s question on whether he regrets having taken Chiluba’s corruption cases to the London High Court, Vice-President Kunda said he had no regrets.

During the Vice-President’s question and answer session in Parliament, Syakalima demanded to know whether Vice-President Kunda had regretted having taken Chiluba’s corruption cases to the London High Court when he was Attorney General and acting justice minister in the Mwanawasa led government.

“When I was Attorney General, I was working on instruction from my client, the government. I had no personal interest in the matter and so there is no need for me to regret,” he said.

Vice-President Kunda said he was acting for the government and took the cases to the London High Court on behalf of the Zambian public.

“I was acting for the government of Zambia, on instruction from the government and on behalf of the people of Zambia,” said Vice-President Kunda.

And Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has cautioned The Post, Kazabu, Chibuluma and Professor Hansungule for what her termed disregard for parliamentary privileges.

This was in ruling on a point of order raised by Daniel Munkombwe, the deputy minister in the Office of the Vice-President, regarding a statement attributed to Kazabu in The Post edition of September 24, 2010 under the headline ‘The Speaker is being partisan - Kazabu’.

Mwanamwambwa explained that following Kazabu’s allegations that the Speaker was acting on partisan lines when he suspended Kafulafuta member of parliament George Mpombo from the House and later asked him to apologise for referring to Vice-President Kunda as stupid, subsequent articles were published in The Post, thereby disparaging the integrity of Parliament.

Mwanamwambwa also questioned the knowledge of the authors and commentators regarding practices and rules of procedures of Parliament, and in particular, the Speaker.

“Parliamentary privileges are to be respected not only by members, but also by the public. When any individual or authority disregards or attacks the privileges of the House, it amounts to the offence termed as breach of privileges and is punishable by the House,” he said.

Mwanamwambwa warned that had Parliament wished, the ‘culprits’ would have appeared before the committee on privileges, absences and support services for determination of the matter and necessary sanctions would have been imposed on them.

“The core message of this ruling is that even those who are judgmental should make an effort to understand and respect what we do, how and why we do it. If they do, then we shall respect them,” said Mwanamwambwa.

Meanwhile, members of parliament yesterday opted to stay mute on the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) policy debate.

When asked to debate the policy statement issued by Vice-President Kunda, members of parliament remained seated and the budget estimates for the commission were passed without any debate.

Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, CORRUPTION, COURTS, FREDERICK CHILUBA, GEORGE KUNDA

posted by MrK @ 7:37 PM