TIZ deems Chungu’s support for Rupiah inappropriate

TIZ deems Chungu’s support for Rupiah inappropriate
By Mwala Kalaluka
Sun 02 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia says Xavier Chungu’s public statement professing his support for President Rupiah Banda and the ruling MMD is inappropriate and ill-timed.

Reacting to Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) former director-general Chungu’s statement that he was campaigning for President Banda’s re-election, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka advised Chungu to focus on his trials out of the public glare.

“His statement serves little but to act as an unnecessary distraction from his ongoing court cases. No one will begrudge Mr Chungu the opportunity to publicly serve his party of choice once he has been cleared of his charges in the courts of law,” Lifuka said.

Lifuka said already President Banda and the MMD had made poor decisions in the manner they have embraced those with unsavory character into their league of supporters and benefactors.

“Such support, notwithstanding the desperation of the MMD to win at all costs in this year's election, has the potential to permanently damage the reputation of the MMD and the country,” Lifuka said.

He said President Banda should not get excited with such support, and that TIZ was challenging him to reject it just like he did the donation from Anuj Kumar Rathi.

“Most of these supporters lend their weight to a political cause in return for something and definitely Mr Chungu is no exception,” said Lifuka.

Chungu is facing corruption charges although the Task Force on Corruption that was prosecuting him has been fused into the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

At the peak of his corruption trial in 2004, Chungu fled the country and went into self-imposed exile but returned after the death of president Levy Mwanawasa.

He was arrested on December 3, 2008 at Lusaka International Airport after he surrendered himself to police and was subsequently charged with contempt of court.