TIZ urges punishment of thieving ex-leaders

TIZ urges punishment of thieving ex-leaders
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 18 Dec. 2011, 13:58 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) says leaders who steal from the public should be punished. Commenting on former French president Jacques Chirac's conviction for misusing public funds, TIZ executive director Goodwell Lungu said leaving office peacefully does not nullify a former leader's misdeeds.

"We feel that it sends the right signal at the right time. In the Zambian scenario, the former leadership, especially MMD particularly Mr. Rupiah Banda should be able to learn that whatever wrong he might have done to this country and no matter how long, time might catch up with him," Lungu said.

"People should not think that if one leaves the presidency peacefully then it nullifies all the allegations of misuse of public funds. The two should be distinguished quite clearly; because there're some people in Zambia that want to confuse the citizens into believing that a smooth handover of power nullifies all these particular allegations.

And we want to make it very clear in welcoming this particular international precedent that when leaders serve they should always put the citizens' interest first; and not putting their political survival and political interest first."

Lungu said leaders at all times should account for public resources.

He said leaders should not take shortcuts when handling public resources but follow the law.

"So it's a very good lesson what has happened and the local leadership, both the current leaders, the PF and in particular the MMD leadership should seriously reflect on that. This is why we will continue calling on former and current leaders to live exemplary lives. And if they misconduct themselves and the law catches up with them, they should not think that they are being persecuted. It simply means that their own past behaviour is both catching up with them and persecuting them; so they should face reality," said Lungu.

On Thursday, a French court found Chirac guilty and handed him a two-year suspended sentence for misusing public funds and abusin public confidence when he served as mayor of Paris in the 90s. It is the first time a former French head of state has been convicted since Marshal Philippe Petain, leader of France's wartime Vichy regime, was found guilty of collaborating with the Nazis.

The 79-year-old Chirac was not in court to hear the verdict, which came three months after his trial ended. The charges date to his tenure as mayor of Paris in the early 1990s.

Chirac, who was president from 1995 to 2007, was accused of using
public money for his own political ends in a case dubbed the "fake
jobs" affair.