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PF government will pursue UPG bribery case, says Lubinda

PF government will pursue UPG bribery case, says Lubinda
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 03 Oct. 2011, 16:40 CAT

GIVEN Lubinda says UPG corruption and bribery is still a valid matter that the PF government will pursue vigorously. In an interview, Lubinda who is information and tourism minister said the fact that the party won the election did not mean that the corruption and bribery of Universal Print Group would be ignored.

UPG is the South African company that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) engaged to print ballot papers for the just-ended general election.

The company's special projects manager Vik Vaid is alleged to have bribed some senior ECZ officials in order to secure contracts to print ballot papers for Zambia's 2006, 2008 and 2011 elections.

"Our having won elections does not mean that Vik Vaid is exonerated from impropriety; it does not exonerate those from the ECZ who were receiving money for dubious activities. A wrong is a wrong irrespective of the end result. And we are doing this because we promised the Zambian people that we want to govern them well and leave a better Zambia," Lubinda said.

"It was not a false allegation, it is a matter which was not only about the elections
of 2011. It was a matter of impropriety involving the supply of ballot papers to the ECZ, and even after the elections the matter is still a crime, which requires follow up, and offenders requiring prosecution. So no one should say we are being vindictive, no. And I am not going to agree that this matter be forgotten about simply because we have won elections."

Lubinda said prior to elections, he had warned that the matter would still be valid regardless of who won. He said it was a known matter that Vaid and some ECZ officials had misconducted themselves in the past and deserved to be punished.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, GIVEN LUBINDA, PF

posted by MrK @ 1:08 AM