Maravi

DEC gives Sata 24 hrs to surrender vehicles

DEC gives Sata 24 hrs to surrender vehicles
By George Chellah
Wed 08 Dec. 2010, 10:20 CAT

DEC has given Michael Sata a 24-hour ultimatum to surrender motor vehicles allegedly bought using the US$100,000 he is currently being investigated on. But Sata says it’s a pity that the state through the Drug Enforcement Commission has hired well-known ‘corrupt boys’ like Frank Tayali to investigate him.

In an interview, Sata said the DEC yesterday summoned his lawyers Wynter Kabimba and Bonaventure Mutale to discuss the matter.

“My law-yers were summoned by DEC and they have come back and briefed me that they were told that the vehicles are needed by 17:00 hours today yesterday. They said the vehicles have to be surrendered pending investigations,” he said.

He said DEC had lost its professional trait as shown by the caliber of boys like Tayali.

“I was shocked when I was told by my lawyers that they were met by Frank Tayali. I know this boy, he is just an MMD cadre so where and when did he train for him to be co-opted into a sensitive security wing like DEC?” Sata asked.

“We know this boy Tayali as a former UPND national youth chairman who later defected to MMD. It’s clear that the system is now littered with MMD cadres and Tayali is just an MMD plant at DEC. Obviously, Tayali is at DEC to victimise and intimidate Rupiah’s political opponents. Where is the professionalism here?”

He said it was a pity that the state had hired well-known corrupt boys like Tayali to investigate him. He said Zambia was the only country where boys who were supposed to be arrested and prosecuted like Tayali were the ones being hired by the state to persecute innocent people.

“I can say that this Tayali boy is very corrupt and his corruption is well-known. DEC is a business for him that’s why he is being used for dirty work,” he said.

He said DEC was hell bent on intimidating him but would not succeed.

“They think I will be grounded if they get those vehicles. I will only be grounded if they throw me in jail, which I am not afraid of,” Sata said. “I will still be moving and campaigning with or without those vehicles. If they want to seize the vehicles let them follow the law.”

Former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi, who is now a staunch MMD cadre held a press briefing where he claimed that he had documentation to the effect that Sata received US $100,000 and gave it to Fr Frank Bwalya to campaign against the MMD.

But in his response, Sata dismissed Mumbi’s claims and said the US$100,000 was not paid to Fr Bwalya but Action Auto for the purchase of motor vehicles.

Labels: CORRUPTION, DEC, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 6:15 PM