Rupiah must be prosecuted - Nalumango

Rupiah must be prosecuted - Nalumango
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sun 08 Jan. 2012, 11:30 CAT

MUTALE Nalumango says Rupiah Banda must be prosecuted if investigative wings have genuine cases of criminality against him.

In an interview on Tuesday, Nalumango who is former deputy speaker and immediate past MMD member of parliament for Kaputa, said the prosecution of former presidents, though embarrassing for the country, must be done so that it serves as wake-up call to the current and would-be presidents.

She said the government, through the investigative wings, must convince Parliament to have Banda prosecuted if a prima facie case was established.

"I have heard of issues of investigations going on, the former president's Mpundu Trust for example. It is embarrassing for our former presidents to be prosecuted but it is a wake-up call to would-be presidents and the current President. Surely it has been done before.

You don't hide in the office and if the current ministers will also hide in their offices, that is sad. For me even if the current President (Michael Sata) also engages in corrupt activities, at the end of the day he should also be prosecuted," Nalumango said.

"What I believe is, and anyone that has followed my political career and public life would know that, that is my understanding. I believe in justice and justice means if there is a real issue to investigate, let people investigate."

Nalumango said that corruption in Zambia must be fought at all times.

She dismissed complaints by some MMD members that the ongoing investigations were a witch-hunt.

"To me it does not matter whether it's an MMD member or PF, whether one belongs to the public service or what…If there is an issue, the truth must always prevail and justice must be done. I don't believe in anyone using public resources for their personal gain," she said.

On MMD officials that served in government and were now being suspected of plundering national resources and abusing public office, Nalumango said the process of the entire law must be able to determine who was guilty and who was not.

" It would be wrong to pronounce one guilty before the courts of law but it would also be wrong to just keep quiet…" she said.

Nalumango called on all those holding public office to work together to ensure justice was done on cases of plunder of national resources.

"One cannot corrupt oneself. With corruption, it takes two to tango, so where are all the others with who these people where conniving with? I would want to see whichever side of government or indeed private sector who engaged in corrupt activities with public officers to be equally prosecuted," Nalumango said.

"It must not be a political agenda. Whether you are in the office that is making decisions, whether you are a judge, justice must be done."

And Nalumango said there was need for a Parliament that was matured in terms of democracy.

"One would think people are getting the freedom whether they work with government to vote against their government and whether they are in the opposition to vote against the position of their party, but that is not the case. The freedom of thinking of individuals and representation of members of the constituencies in such a case becomes compromised," she said.

"I hope this Parliament will be strong enough to look at issues and not look at positions of interest. Those of interest to the nation, not partisan interests," said Nalumango.