Maravi

Question on MMD NAPSA scam irritates Rupiah

Question on MMD NAPSA scam irritates Rupiah
By Ernest Chanda and Patson Chilemba
Wed 02 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has accused The Post of setting an agenda for other media institutions to react to the MMD’s NAPSA fund-raising scam story.

The accusation follows his special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere's concern over a question from a journalist from ZNBC who wanted President Banda's reaction to yesterday's lead story in The Post, which exposed a fund-raising scam with the government using the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) in a land acquisition transaction involving about US$15 million.

And former finance minister Ng’andu Magande has urged all Zambians to demand transparency from President Banda’s government over the fund-raising scam.

As President Banda was answering the question, Jere chipped in and said: “Can we have more questions which are forward looking, not reactions, reactions.”

As he continued his explanation, President Banda said The Post was not the only newspaper available in the country.

“And also they're setting your agenda. Why everyday are you following The Post as if it's the only newspaper here? It's like you are encouraging scandalising other people also,” President Banda said.

Reacting to yesterday's story that revealed NAPSA was buying land from Meanwood Properties Limited at an exorbitant price as a way of fund-raising for the MMD, President Banda challenged the newspaper to produce evidence.

“You know my name is mentioned everyday. Everyday, in The Post. Everyday it is there. So, I don't know, I haven't quite read the article. But we don't know of any such scandal. If they have evidence let them produce it, let them put it forward. I haven't read it so I will not be able to answer you more precisely,” he said.

Also commenting on the NAPSA fund-raising scandal, Magande said single-sourcing in government should be discouraged because it promoted corruption.
He said there was a growing trend for single-sourcing in President Banda’s government.

“You can’t have a government whose contracts are given on single sourcing. We have to express our displeasure and hope that we can be given good reason for single sourcing. We should still talk as citizens. We should not be muzzled and allow to be told ‘keep quiet’,” he said.

Magande said NAPSA was a public institution and should not be used to fund MMD party programmes.

He said NAPSA should have bought land from the Ministry of Lands where it was cheaper.

“They NAPSA are using members' subscriptions or contributions. So why use members' contributions which, in fact, they need to earn so much to be able to pay better terminal benefits at the end of the day,” Magande said.

He said this was why the Freedom of Information bill should be passed so that public officials could be made to explain the decisions they made in public office.

“Clearly since the president of the party and the treasurer are responsible for raising money for party operations, it would obviously be nice for them to say something . . . let him also explain on NAPSA,” Magande said.

He said that during his time as finance minister under late president Levy Mwanawasa, state institutions were never used to raise campaign funds for the MMD.

MMD members recently expressed concern over what they termed “scandalous” transactions at NAPSA, which President Banda wanted to use to raise campaign funds.

The sources said President Banda was using his friends to mobilise funds from parastatals for campaigns, but the money was not being paid to the party.
They said the latest transaction involved President Banda’s tribesman and proprietor of Meanwood Property Development Limited, Robinson Kaleb Zulu.
The sources said Meanwood Property Development Limited was selling land to NAPSA at a cost of about US $15 million (about K75 billion).

The sources said that with the influence of President Banda, NAPSA had signed a contract with Meanwood to buy land at an exorbitant price, although the firm did not have immediate plans to use it.

When contacted for comment, Zulu denied being among the friends of President Banda involved in re-election fund-raising.

He said the transaction with NAPSA was just a commercial transaction that did not have any bearing on fund-raising for President Banda’s campaigns.

On a separate issue, asked to comment on increased fuel prices in the country with farmers expressing concern, President Banda justified the hike, saying it was minimal.

“Yah, but I think that the farmers also read newspapers, they watch TV and they know that we don't have oil fields here. Oil is coming all the way from the middle east. And they know what is happening there, so there's no need for people to create unnecessary worries in the minds of the people. And even the increase is not that much,” President Banda said.

“So we have to be realistic. I understand the increase is very, very small. We have to continue to increase as the fuel price from the source goes up. We, who are importing, have to pay the price. Just like maize, we who grow maize . . . the people who buy maize from other countries have to follow the prices here. So there's nothing to fear. So, I'm asking people, let us be strong and face the realities of life.”

Labels: CORRUPTION, MMD, NAPSA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 8:15 PM