Maravi

Kavindele calls for thorough probe of former leaders before arrests

Kavindele calls for thorough probe of former leaders before arrests
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sat 12 Nov. 2011, 08:10 CAT

THERE is need to thoroughly investigate former leaders alleged to have looted public funds before effecting any arrests to avoid embarrassing them, says Enoch Kavindele. There have been growing calls from key stakeholders that the MMD's last three years in power be investigated and culprits prosecuted for corruption.

Commenting on the calls, Kavindele cited the persecution of Dr Kenneth Kaunda by late president Frederick Chiluba as one case in which the former leader was embarrassed for nothing.

"I would like to urge government to do their investigations thoroughly before they find themselves in an embarrassing situation such as what happened to Dr Kenneth Kaunda after he had lost (power)," Kavindele said.

"The government of Zambia then after Kaunda, came up with allegations that he had stolen US $7 billion and had also taken some State House items including books, and indeed, the police officers went to open all his boxes, I was there with his late son Wezi, and Maurice Kaulung'ombe Dr Kaunda's aide and KK sat there and they checked every box and they found nothing."

Kavindele described as "humiliating to the man who had served a country so diligently" the decision by late president Chiluba's regime to hire Scotland yard, to investigate alleged siphoning of US $7 billion from Zambia.

Kavindele also claimed that late president Chiluba had his immunity from prosecution removed for alleged crimes that he was later cleared of.

The London High Court found Chiluba and his allies guilty of embezzling about $46 million and ordered him and his associates to repay $58 million to Zambians but the Zambian government did not register the judgment for it to be enforced in Zambia.

However, in other corruption cases, after over seven years of trial, Chiluba was in 2009 acquitted of embezzling $500,000 during his presidency, in circumstances many questioned.

Kavindele said: "My appeal is that please investigate quietly and establish the truth or otherwise of what transpired. Investigations should not be carried out in public and it is very embarrassing when they end up not finding what they are looking for."

Kavindele claimed that some of the crimes allegedly committed by former president Banda could have been committed by his aides without his knowledge but just in his name

"Even for president Banda and his government, government should quickly investigate everything that is being alleged as opposed to trying him in the press," said Kavindele who is also former republican vice-president. "I have been out of government for nine years now, I do not know what happened but having been in government at the level I was, I noticed that many individuals can do all sorts of things in the name of the presidency and yet it is not true. Rupiah Banda is a very likeable man and a gentleman."

And Kavindele opposed calls for removal of former president Banda's immunity from prosecution so that he faces the law for alleged crimes committed under his reign.

"The immunity of the (former) president from prosecution should not be lifted. Let the investigations be carried out first and thoroughly, those other issues can come later because we don't want a situation where late president Levy Mwanawasa came and pleaded that we lift late president Chiluba's immunity and after that we discovered there was no way of restoring it even after he had been found more or less innocent," said Kavindele. "Therefore, investigate thoroughly even before attempting to remove the immunity."

Labels: CORRUPTION, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD

posted by MrK @ 6:08 PM