Maravi

People don't want me to serve Sata - Chipoya

People don't want me to serve Sata - Chipoya
By Bivan Saluseki
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 14:00 CAT

FORMER State House senior private secretary Alfred Chipoya yesterday said some people don't want him to serve President Michael Sata.

In an interview, Chipoya said it was true he was no longer working at State House as senior private secretary but President Sata was working out something different for him. Chipoya said he had not received any warning or reprimand and did not know the companies involved in the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) scanners.

Asked why he could not give his position when contacted on Saturday over the issue, Chipoya said he was repairing his son's car and his hands were soiled in oil and fuel.

"You should have said I'm from The Post. I would have paid attention. Now today I wake up and find that. You think I can get a US$ 2,000 to fix an appointment?" he asked.

However, Chipoya had clearly been told that it was the The Post.

And when reminded about the introductions, Chipoya said: " I didn't know what story you intended to run. Now I'm being judged in public on what you have written."

Asked if he was still President Sata's private secretary, Chipoya said: "No! But there is something that is being done by the President. I'm not working at State House. I'm waiting for the President to make the next move. I'm in the process of moving."

Asked of it was a voluntary move, Chipoya said: "The President is still finalising. I haven't received anything in writing yet. Maybe he (President Sata) is still thinking of shifting me to another organisation. But I'm completely innocent. I don't know anything (corruption allegations)."

Chipoya said he had never known Bradwell International and Cargo Scan and he did not receive any telephone call from them.

He detailed the procedure of meeting the President and said he had never heard the President talk about the US$ 2,000.

"Maybe he (President Sata) has facts," he said.

"There is another matter which is not part of what you have written which he was trying to solve. It's something not to do with misconduct or indiscipline or offending anybody," he said.

Chipoya said he was a humble person and it was not fair for people to destroy him for something he had not done.

He said he had been in the position of senior private secretary to serve the people of Zambia.

Chipoya said he had served diligently even at the time when late president Levy Mwanawasa had two strokes.

"It was not easy," he said.

Chipoya said even when he was trying his best and some people in ministries were going scot-free, others wanted to tarnish his name.

He wondered how those implicated in the ZRA irregularities could be so naïve as to send money in an envelope.

He said all mail at State House was scanned and appointments were scrutinised.

"If people don't want me to be there, I can't force myself. I never applied for that job. I did it as part of my duty," he said.

Chipoya said if there were any ‘foolish' people full of ‘bulls***' that wanted to scandalise him, they would not succeed.

He said Bradwell had never phoned to request for an appointment.

On Saturday, sources disclosed that President Sata had fired Chipoya for alleged corruption.

Sources disclosed that Chipoya was relieved of his duties after he tried to facilitate a meeting between President Sata and former operators of the Zambia Revenue Authority border scanners.

Last week, the government terminated the contracts given to Bradwell International and Cargo Scan to manage border scanners.

This was after ZRA Commission of Inquiry recommended that appropriate action be taken against former president Rupiah Banda and 13 former government officials for the fraudulent procurements regarding the border scanners and concession-related contracts.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, ZRA

posted by MrK @ 5:08 PM