Rupiah isn’t clean, says Fr Salangeta

Rupiah isn’t clean, says Fr Salangeta
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sat 21 May 2011, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH Banda is not clean, that is why he is so jittery when he hears talk about punishing plunderers when government changes, says Fr Anthony Salangeta.

Fr Salangeta, who is assistant parish priest at Sacred Heart Parish in Kitwe, expressed surprise that President Banda who had promised to stamp out corruption was worried that his competitors were speaking the same language.

“All that people are saying is that plunderers must be pursued and if the President is innocent, there is no need for him to panic.

He should actually be rejoicing that a lot of other people are ready to help him stamp out corruption,” Fr Salangeta said. “But when he begins to say PF leader Michael Sata is vindictive, it only goes to show that he has something to hide.

Perhaps that is why we hear a lot of questionable transactions associated with his family - the arms deal, Zamtel and the NAPSA - that is why he is so scared,” said Fr Salangeta.

He said the reasons why the appeal against the questionable acquittal of Frederick Chiluba was stopped by the government were now unfolding.

Fr Salangeta said no matter how long it took to change government, all those associated with Chiluba’s plunder and those that had continued the trend and made Chiluba their consultant must account for their actions.

“Mutembo Nchito appealed against that acquittal, but they (government) stopped it. If they believe so much that the accused plunderers were innocent, why did they stop the courts of law from proving the cases beyond reasonable doubt?

I think the picture is beginning to unfold. Why being so jittery when people talk about returning the plundered resources? Plunderers must be punished and any shoddy deal that was signed outside the requirements of the law must be pursued to a logical conclusion,” he added.