Shansonga's arrest a boost in corruption fight - Malila

Shansonga's arrest a boost in corruption fight - Malila
By Staff Reporter
Sun 01 July 2012, 13:24 CAT

ATTORNEY General Mumba Malila says Attan Shansonga has had a heavy load on his head after years of running away from the law. Shansonga, the former Zambia's Ambassador to the United States, was arrested by Danish authorities a week ago in Denmark after being a fugitive for eight years.

ACC director general Rosewin Wandi has indicated that the extradition of Shansonga was imminent since details of his cases in Zambia were submitted to the Danish authorities.

"The fact that he was arrested in Denmark is very good for Zambia. It confirms one thing, and that is that you cannot run away from the law, running away is just temporary," Malila said in an interview yesterday.

He said government faced a lot of difficulties to get Shansonga to answer charges in the courts of law.

"…He now faces the reality of getting home where he will have to answer charges laid against him. It is a boost in the fight against corruption. He has had this heavy load on his head. I am sure he was not free to come to Lusaka because of those corruption charges," said Malila.

"If he's innocent, he will be released, if found with a case, the law will take its course. "

In the corruption cases, Shansonga was charged together with former president Frederick Chiluba and former director of intelligence, Xavier Chungu.

Late president Levy Mwanawasa disclosed in his special address to Parliament on July 11, 2002 that apart from receiving amounts exceeding US $1.1 million from the Zamtrop account which was run by the Zambia Security Intelligence Services, Shansonga was also the brain behind MISSL and MISSL Associates, two companies incorporated in England and Wales and in the British Virgin Islands which were created by the Chiluba regime as consultants on the management of the former ZCCM assets.