The Zambia Republican Party ZRP president Wright Musoma has requested President Michael Sata through the acting President Mr Edga Lungu to consider dropping all the charges against former President Rupiah Banda and quashing the K10,000:00 penalty fee slapped on the thousands of poor people in Libala South by the Lusaka City Council, as the country celebrates its 50 year Jubilee.
In a press statement released to the media ZRP said it strongly feels that Zambia’s 50 year Jubilee celebration will not have any meaning if former President Rupiah Banda who like President Michael Sata has done so much for the country is still being dragged to courts just in order to please a small evil cartel.
Former President Rupiah Banda’s contribution to the well-being of mother Zambia from his young age cannot be emphasized.
ZRP also demanded that during this jubilee celebration the President and PF government should consider the plight of our thousands of poor people in Libala South( water works area )who have been slapped with K10,000 penalty fee by the Lusaka City Council. ZRP feels that most of these people are widows and some are retirees with big families who cannot afford to pay the penalty fee. They therefore urge the PF government to order Lusaka City Council to remove the penalty fee and give them title deeds immediately.
Former President Rupiah Banda is charged with one count of abuse of authority of office.Mr. Banda is alleged to have procured a US$2.5 million Nigerian government-to-government oil contract in the name of the republic of Zambia “which he in fact meant to benefit himself and his family”.
Last year a state witness SARB Energy Managing Director Akpan Ekpene wept during testimony describing Mr Banda as a man of great honour.Mr. Ekpene said Mr. Banda was not involved in the oil deal.He told the court that no money was paid by the Zambian government and that Mr. Banda did not pay anything adding that Zambia did not lose anything.
Mr Ekpene said the lifting of the crude oil was done in September 2011 after Rupiah Banda had ceased to be the Republican president and that the contract was later terminated, an indication that nobody further benefited from the contract.
The court charges against the former president are perceived to be persecutory in nature.
To be honest this is not a bad shout
I think RB has suffered and so have his children
Like all of you I agree this should be dropped so we start clean once and for all
Thanks
The bible tells us
Luke 23:33-34
When they came to a place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Then if we turn our bible AGAIN
Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Case closed
Thanks
I know Wright Musoma is a joker, but i think it is about time we started another chapter. These type of cases don`t lead anywhere at the end of the day. They can confiscate some properties which were fraudulently acquired like they did with Chiluba`s yellow snake skin shoes. Time the charges were dropped.
RB should equally confess his wrong doing to the nation and pardon will be the next step the government. Please don’t confuse things with Golden Jubilee the man is a bad example both old and young Politicians.
The reason people are calling for the charges against RB to be dropped is simply because we are all aware that the charges are nothing but an abuse of authority to “fix” perceived enemies. More so with the guidance of M’membe and the DPP. In this case, people should stop hiding behind the jubilee spirit to acknowledge that these cases against RB are frivolous and going nowhere.
If there is compelling evidence, then let the courts processes run their course, convict him and then let him (RB) seek forgiveness from the Zambian people.
The felony of a public leader plunges a whole country into misery while that of a commoner only disadvantages a family.
I would say the State should only pardon those who are in prison for crimes related to political conscience such as those fighting for the recognition of BA64 and those who have allegedly insulted a political leader.
Will Mr RB walk with his head high if he is “forgiven” as he did the late former President, FTJ Chiluba? Well, we are even hearing people dragging him back into politics and with the gullibility of our voters, the suspect could even bounce back as our President. I have so much respect for Uhuru Kenyatta. May God pardon him.
Sata is a basterd who grew up in the devils play ground. Such demons should rott in hell and rb can kiss my royal black bottom with pleasure; evans mfula at evaduco pvt ltd from lusaka
Nyama Soya must go in and meet Mpombo!
Wrong. All people are equal before the law and that includes nyama soya. He should be allowed to answer to all charges brought against him unless there are sufficient grounds for dropping the charges. The Jubilee celebrations are no excuse for dropping criminal proceedings. So Musoma shut your trap and sit down!
This country amazes me. Why are we so quick to defend wrong?
Let the courts prove the man innocent if he is. Only thieves and criminals insult when they see police just as only the guilty are afraid of courts.
Justice must be served and seen to be served. There is no forgiveness without guilt. RB must first be found guilty and then forgiven.
suntwe you are a dog. if RB committed any crime he should have been convicted by now 3 years later. Satan is lucky because he won’t be there to ho through the malicious persecutions RB has gone through.
Let the law take its course,these calls are unfounded.RB is a Zambian citizen just like anyone else,no one is above the law.If so,then stop all the cases and shut down the judiciary until the celebrations are over.
Is it the president’s prerogative to drop on going court cases? I thought that was the mandate of the dpp. To the best of my knowledge the president can only pardon CONVICTS. As it is RB is NOT a convict. He is presumed innocent until the court decides other wise. So its really a non starter. And so what if if Zambia’s jubilee? A crime is a crime. And why single out RB only? What about all other individuals facing charges ? Are they not Zambian enough. In That case we might as well empty our prisons on 24 October as a way of celebrating our jubilee.
RB cases of corruption have nothing to do with 50 years old of Zambia.
We do not need to forgive RB but ask him to return what the law requires of one who steals from the poor, fatherless, widows and widowers, the sick and other vulnerable folks in Zambia. We dealt with KK, Chiluba (some cases still in court), Mwanawasa (clean), RB cases on and next will be Sata. This is what good governance and accountability entails in a nation. Let us not send wrong messages that sitting and former president can get away with criminal cases. Even Pritorius known in the world, today is jailed.
Another Branch of Old Cry Baby RB.What a silly open sweeping compulsion from another Kantemba party leader Musoma! I wonder why the registrar of society registers such useless single minded family parties in the name of democracy!Corrupt charges & crimes are inimical to national development & as such RB should clear himself in the justice system of the rule of law!No charges MUST be dropped for what! Wright Musoma is being funded by RB & as such MUST desist from including Zambians who demand good representation & governance from their Presidents not looters!Such leaders like Musoma are airheads & shouldn’t be allowed to continue with these advocates as they undermine good governance & representation of the elected leaders!No wonder RB wanted to remove the abuse of…
But this guy is a pea brain ayi,what does he mean by rb has done nothin wrong? Anyway u cant expect much frm a person who belongs to such a party nw,can you?
What type of justice and governance are we advocating for? Are we implying that the President and his children should be above the law? They can plunder national resources without the law visiting them while Generals and other senior civil servants have been convicted for lesser crimes and are serving their sentences in prison, for RB and his children you want them to get away with serious cases of corruption! It would be extremely unfair. We are not doing our country a service by being naive on such serious matters. RB and his children and others shouls be made to account for their irresponsible and evil deeds while in Government and serve as an example to others.
NO, NO, NO, there is no way RB’s theft and corruption cases should be dropped for whatever reason. Let him face the courts through and through and if at the end he is acquitted, so be it. There are thousands of poor Zambian prisoners who deserve to be pardoned not this RB who took advantage of his then position to loot.
I am selecting my words very carefully because this opinion piece from this unknown guy who spends most of his time hidden beneath some obscure object calls for maximum contempt that it deserves! Enough said.
As long as the fake charges placed on RB by PF & Mmembe remain in Courts of Law, the PF and their cadres can eat their CAKE during the Jubillee celebrations. I will just spend my day tending to my Garden.
There is such a thing as setting a precedent. When will we start holding thieving leaders accountable? How can you forgive someone who is not even being apologetic? Where is Henry? If we have not put RB in jail, how will we treat Henry if he is innocent? I am sick of this petty way of seeing national issues. I want RB and his son to face charges, and I also want those who have been thiefing during PF to face charges. Tapali ifya clemency apa, forgiving unrepentant thieves. Its my country too, and this is my say!!!
It is three years now, no progress over the cases. Meanwhile a lot of people are flying around “looking evidence” and getting hefty allowances from taxpayers. Nothing will come from this nonsense. Chiluba stole, and the current govt.
Ba ZRP tamwakwata ifyakuchita
What is this fake Engineer (Australia) now in Germany doing in our Fatherland?
I don’t know why some people are so selfish! We might as well for give all the prisoners as part of the celebration. Because he is a former president he needs special treatment? We have to obey the law and if you are a leader then you should face stiffer punishment because you know the law. That’s why we don’t develop because we allow these leaders to go free after damaging lives of other citizen. Let vote wisely and move away from tribal or voting to receive favour. I am really annoyed with such calls. That’s selfish motive!
Then all the prisoners should be pardoned.
Sha!!!!! Ichi chipuba cha ZRP.A big moron!
tell as what is on the ground about the presidents health
I don’t believe the rule of law should be bent for the benefit of any individual. Indeed Mr Banda is presumed innocent until the courts prove otherwise. What’s the fuss, ba tin-pot President? Surely, is being in politics a way of waking up one day and proposing crap? Besides, true, the incumbent President only pardons convicts not people whose cases are still being deliberated. Ask yourselves if Banda is really feeling the pinch? He’s still comfortable. It is the small man in the street who is arrested over frivolous charges and put in remand for months on-end without seeing their day in court whom we should mourn about. The likes of Banda have high profile lawyers to keep them out to sleep in their comfortable beds as their cases drag on and on for years until the “docket” gets lost.
Amazing! In one breath RB is neing celebrated as hero for being President! On the other, RB is being prosecuted for crimes including corruption! And the nation has no problems reconcilling these positions on opposite ends! Me thinks there is a very serious problem in Zambia