Monday, February 18, 2013

(TIMES ZM) Govt ponders lifting RB’s immunity

Govt ponders lifting RB’s immunity
February 16, 2013
By NAKUBIANA MUMBUNA and VICTORIA PHIRI -

GOVERNMENT is still considering lifting immunity on former President Rupiah Banda so that the truth in corruption allegations levelled against him can be established.

Chief Government spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni said in Lusaka yesterday that there was widespread corruption during Mr Banda’s administration and as such it was important for the truth to be established.

Mr Sakeni said this when he addressed journalists after appearing on UNZA radio in Lusaka yesterday.

He said it would be prudent that matters were not left hanging.

Meanwhile, Mr Sakeni says UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and MMD’s Nevers Mumba must apologise to the Zambian people for being unpatriotic.

Mr Sakeni said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the action by the two opposition leaders was uncalled for and unbefitting of leaders who aspired to govern the country.

He said Government was pleased to note that level-headed citizens had not hidden their dissatisfaction of the trio’s reckless act of treachery to the nation.

“Let them not comfort themselves. Their recent conduct in South Africa was abhorrent and a highly risky political gamble by all standards,” he said.

Mr Sakeni, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said it was politically suicidal for any opposition leader to think that they would ride on the back of former President Rupiah Banda who refused to be interviewed by law enforcement agencies.

He said their decision to defend Mr Banda’s alleged plunder and abuse of State resources under the guise of human rights violations and abuses was the worst self-deception.

Meanwhile, UNPD spokesperson Charles Kakoma said during a media briefing yesterday that the party would use every opportunity to discredit President Michael Sata to the International Community.

Mr Kakoma said the party was yet to seek audience with other international and regional governing bodies to discredit the President.

He insisted that there was nothing immoral about holding a media conference on foreign soil and that Mr Hichilema had no intention of seeking asylum in another country.

“Please tell Mr Sata that we are going to embarrass him, this is just the beginning, from here we are going to SADC, African Union and even individual Heads of State will be told about what is happening here,” Mr Kakoma said.

On Thursday, Dr Mumba said he and other opposition leaders did not go to South Africa to seek asylum but to ensure that a 40-page document highlighting alleged human rights violations in Zambia was delivered to the Commonwealth Secretary General.


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posted by MrK @ 2:24 PM 0 Comments

(TIMES ZM) Former first lady Thandiwe Banda faces arrest

Former first lady Thandiwe Banda faces arrest
February 16, 2013 | Filed underFeatured | Posted by mitia
By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE -

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has submitted in the Lusaka High Court that former First Lady Thandiwe Banda is ‘highly’ likely to face criminal charges and be prosecuted in connection with the seized apartments belonging to Mpundu Trust Limited.

The ACC told High Court Judge Dominic Sichinga that there was likelihood that investigations against Mpundu Trust would yield a criminal case for prosecution and as such, the court should dismiss her application to cancel the restrictions on the property placed by the ACC.

The ACC said the explanation given by Ms Banda, the director of Mpundu Trust Limited after she was interviewed did not or does not successfully exculpate the Trust from the allegations.

This is in a matter in which Ms Banda of Villa Number Three, Plot 2758 off Leopards Hill Road, New Kasama wants the Lusaka High Court to order with costs, the reversal of the restriction notice to lease or dispose of the property issued by the ACC on her property.

She wants in the alternative, the Court to annul the restriction notice and allow her to lease out the property.

But according to the affidavit in opposition of originating summons filed by ACC’s Chola Kasongo, the restriction could not be cancelled because the apartments are likely to be used in the courts of law as evidence.

Mr Kasongo said the investigations were still ongoing and the commission was still investigating Mpundu Trust in relation to amounts of money that came into the Trust’s account as well as the dealings of Mpundu Trust with third parties.

He said ACC was not obliged to update Ms Banda on how far the investigations have gone but the fact that she was on December 3, 2012 interviewed was an indication that investigations were active.

Mr Kasongo said ACC commenced investigations into alleged corrupt activities involving Mpundu Trust sometime last year.

He said a restriction notice was entered against Mpundu Trust on January 4, 2012 in accordance with the ACC Act and the same was served in October 2012.

“That on February 3, 2012 Thandiwe Banda as a director of Mpundu Trust was interviewed in connection with the investigations and the explanation given therein did not and does not successfully exculpate the applicant from the allegations to warrant the cancelation of the restriction notice,” Mr Kasongo said.

He said contrary to Ms Banda’s claims, investigations had reached an advanced stage.

Mr Justice Sichinga adjourned the matter to February 26, 2013.

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posted by MrK @ 2:23 PM 0 Comments