Maravi

Kabimba accuses Chiluba of theft

Kabimba accuses Chiluba of theft
By George Chellah
Thu 13 Jan. 2011, 04:02 CAT

WYNTER Kabimba yesterday said Frederick Chiluba is the 'Godfather' of the Panamanian registered company, Tedworth Properties Incorporated, and that he used public funds to purchase the properties.

And Kabimba challenged former Lusaka Province minister in Chiluba's administration, Sonny Mulenga, to deny that at one point he collected US $300,000 cash from Chiluba to pay the liquidators of Meridian Property Fund for the properties in Lusaka.

Commenting on Lusaka High Court judge Philip Musonda's judgment in which he ordered the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to surrender properties to Tedworth Properties Inc, which former president Chiluba used to acquire properties in Lusaka, Kabimba, who is also PF secretary general said the political marriage of convenience between Chiluba and President Rupiah Banda was proving to be very costly to Zambia’s wellbeing.

"The Zambian people are beginning to feel cheated to see Chiluba being re-modeled into a saint under Rupiah after all his wrong doings during his 10 year rule as president," Kabimba said.

"Nobody would ever believe that Levy Mwanawasa was so vindictive against Chiluba that he could frame charges against him which would all turn out to be untrue today."

Kabimba said the ACC must appeal against judge Musonda’s judgment.

"As PF, we have information that the money which was used for the purchase of the said properties did not come from Panama. At one point, a sum of US $300,000 cash was collected by S.P Mulenga from Chiluba and paid to the liquidators of Meridian Property Fund for the properties," Kabimba said.

"Let Chiluba or S.P Mulenga dispute this fact. I would also challenge the liquidator of Meridian Property Fund to state the mode of payment, which was used for the purchase of the properties that Chiluba is claiming today. Let Chiluba prove that there was a bank transfer from a bank in Panama to any of the commercial banks in Zambia for the payment of the said properties."

Kabimba said Tedworth Properties Inc was just a shell company.

"Like the Carlington maize scandal in which Zambia lost a sum of US $20 million to a shell company, Tedworth is also a shell company with Chiluba as the 'Godfather'. Such a company cannot own or buy property in Zambia under Zambian laws," Kabimba said.

"If the ACC fails to appeal this judgment, we shall consider as PF commencing an action in the High Court for a writ of Mandumas ordering ACC to appeal the judgment because we have no doubt that Chiluba used public funds to pay for the said properties."

Kabimba urged Zambians to ensure that President Banda and the MMD were voted out of power this year.

"We also believe that whatever the outcome of the judicial process, unless it works in the interest of the people, this is not a matter that would end by way of a judgment of a court," Kabimba said.

"The Zambian people have an opportunity in 2011 to break the political marriage of convenience between RB and Chiluba by ensuring that the MMD is voted out of office. Only then can they redeem themselves from the Chiluba ghost, which seems to be haunting this country."

Labels: ACC, FREDERICK CHILUBA, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 8:40 AM