Maravi

Sakeni explains withdrawal of military escorts from GBM

Sakeni explains withdrawal of military escorts from GBM
By Roy Habaalu
Mon 08 Oct. 2012, 13:50 CAT

IT is only the Republican President and Vice-President who are entitled to military escort, says chief government spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni.

And Sakeni has reiterated that President Michael Sata will not tolerate anyone involved in corrupt practices following the ACC's launch of preliminary investigations into allegations of abuse of office by defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and justice minister Wynter Kabimba.

The state on Friday withdrew military escort from defence minister Mwamba who now has only police security like any other cabinet minister. He has since surrendered his ministerial vehicle following the withdrawal of military escort automobiles from him.

"There is nothing sinister about withdrawing escort vehicles from the defence minister," said Sakeni yesterday when asked to give the government's position on the matter.

He stated that due procedure was not followed and that government ministers should stick to laid-down procedures in the use of government vehicles.
"The only people entitled to military escort are the President and the Vice-President, so the question of withdrawing is neither here nor there.

It's just a question of following laid-down procedure and you're aware that since independence that has been the practice. We need always to stick to those practices; we can't be changing practices overnight," he said.
Sakeni said there was no need to debate over procedural matters that were straightforward.

"It's a straightforward matter; there is nothing sinister about it. It's normal to withdraw escort vehicles when procedure is not followed because honestly speaking that's how it has been. Officers at times are in a hurry and want to get somewhere faster, then it's normal but it shouldn't amount to abuse so it might have been an oversight. People at times gloss over some issues.

It's a question of not appreciating that this thing is not the way it's supposed be and once you discover that something went wrong you correct the situation and as such as far as history can tell us, its only the President and the Vice-President who are entitled to that," he said.

Sakeni said there are instances when defence and home affairs ministers could request for escort based on the urgency and importance of the event.
"These are circumstances anybody can appreciate - so, definitely, somebody late rushing for a bigger function abroad, somebody can be escorted; it's normal but those are rare and once in a while not routine," he said.

On the ACC's preliminary investigations into corruption allegations against Mwamba and Kabimba on the supply contract for wooden poles to Zesco Limited and oil deals, respectively, Sakeni said there would be no sacred cow in the fight against corruption.

Sakeni, who couldn't comment on the ongoing investigations, said the government's position on corruption remained unchanged.
"The statement which I issued is the correct position on the stand on corruption," he said.

Sakeni, who is information minister, in a statement recently stated that President Sata had warned civil servants in particular to take note that they would not be spared if they engaged in corrupt activities or acted as conduits of corruption simply because some of their collaborators may be high-ranking officials.

He stated that President Sata's fight against corruption was not limited to the former regime.

"Make no mistake; no civil servant is obliged to carry out instructions that amount to corruption. If a minister or indeed anybody senior in government requests a junior officer to do something unlawful, they should not do it," stated Sakeni.

Labels: KENNEDY SAKENI, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:18 PM