THE Committee of Citizens (CC) yesterday said the British government is misleading Zambians by distancing itself from the prosecution of second Republican president Frederick Chiluba after using funds from the State institutions such as the Serious Frauds Office to finance the court process.
In a media release in Lusaka yesterday, CC executive director Gregory Chifire accused the British government of lying to the Zambian people because it was public knowledge that Britain provided funds through the Taskforce on Corruption to prosecute Dr Chiluba and his co-accused.
He said it was clear that the British government was deeply involved in this matter and their technical advisors persuaded the Taskforce on Corruption to commence this process in the London High Court.
Mr Chifire was commenting on a statement by the Public Affairs Office on Friday that the United Kingdom did not have any role to play in the prosecution of Dr Chiluba but that the Zambian Government was the one that was pursuing him.
“We are surprised by the Press statement from the British High Commission issued on Friday August 27, 2010.
“The attempt by the British government to disassociate itself now from the London judgment amounts to hypocrisy. In our view, the statement is crafted to merely play with words so that they can lie to the people of Zambia,” Mr Chifire said.
He said it was public knowledge that during the fight against corruption, the British government provided technical and financial assistance to the Taskforce on Corruption.
“Therefore, the decision to commence a civil case against former president and others in the London High Court began as a process to support the investigations Serious Frauds Office and other private investigators hired such as OVAG were doing in the United Kingdom,” Mr Cifire said.
He said as a result of the British government’s involvement, the Taskforce on Corruption through the Attorney General, obtained from the London High Court a world freezing order on November 17, 2004.
Mr Chifire said the order was obtained to recover the perceived plundered assets and that when no assets were recovered, the order was turned into full fledged legal suit to claim from the defendants the same money they couldn’t find.
He said the British High Commissioners in Lusaka, both the current and previous ones had made numerous public statements on the matter and the fight against corruption.
In most cases the public statements ignored the rule of law and prejudiced these court cases.
[pullquote]“Similarly, there is no reciprocal treaty between Zambia and the United Kingdom to recognise court judgments between the two countries,” Mr Chifire said.[/pullquote]
Zambians will remember that a member of the royal family, the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard, visited Zambia during which time London High Court judge Peter Smith was delivering his judgment on May 4, 2007 in London.
He said it was around the same time that Prince Richard issued a statement supporting the London Judgment and castigated Dr. Chiluba accusing him of corruption.
“It was uncharacteristic for any member of the royal family to issue such a disparaging statement,” Mr Chifire said.
Mr Chifire said he was also shocked that the British government was making wild claims regarding the London Judgment in relation to the asset recoveries when the truth was that the Belgium apartments were handed over to the Taskforce on Corruption and yet they belonged to the Zambian Government.
“The property was bought on mortgage by a company created by the Intelligence and was handed over to the Taskforce on Corruption in 2002. So how could these assets have been the subject of the London judgment whose process started in 2004-2005? How could Government recover its own assets?” Mr Chifire wondered.
He said the British Government claims that millions of British Pounds were recovered from Attan Shansonga when the truth was that a mutual agreement was made by the London Court and Mr Shansonga who sold his shareholding in Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Station worth K1.8 billion to pay for his legal fees and repatriate the difference to the State.
He said that it was difficult to bring Mr Shansonga, who is also a British citizen, to Zambia since no extradition treaty exists between Zambia and the United Kingdom.
“Similarly, there is no reciprocal treaty between Zambia and the United Kingdom to recognise court judgments between the two countries,” Mr Chifire said.
Mr Chifire said it was wrong for the British High Commission to demand that a London Judgment be recognised in Zambia when no legal instruments existed to permit such a matter.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Another MMD sponsored chap! Trying to be head with his CC whatever he stands for!
Chifire, chifire, chifire, how many times did i call your name? 3x. bushe UBUTUTU bobe bwakukulowa nangu chaba shani kanshi? iwe kapala, its not the british govt that started this case its your own bosses who are sustaining your mortified soul. and since you have agreed that the british funded the task force, why is it that rb is saying you paid those monies? kupusa
CIFIRE ULI CIFI FYE
Britain, another joke in this world…………….
i think Chifire has a point
Be wary of these these so called colonial masters and their penchant for dominance.I like the awy Kagame sorted out France and Germany.These people are too poky in other countries affairs especially Africa but wont allow the opposite.Abash big bro relationship!!!
but do we want to blame Britain when it was Kunda, the red lipped viper, vehemently working as justice minister with all our attorney generals’ chambers lawyers who took up the matter.
Whats wrong with the British govt?
Rupiah was veep and never objected to the London court proceedings….he even welcomed the prince of Duke here in this country.
Whence art thou insinuating such propaganda?
The matter is clear Chiluba used Zamtroop account(security Intellengence a/c) in London for private use he is claiming $8m for refund from account ,is that not sufficient evidence on the charge of abuse of office,comments
The current house he living in was purchased through proceeds frm the same account or similar sources
Chiluba is a small BIG thief. period. No matter what sponsored pipo like Chifire say, it wont change our thinking on Chiluba. FTJ in collusion with B.Y. Kantu Mwila when he was defence Minister made Zambia lose $20m dollars on arms purchase, the arms never recieved up to now and will never be recieved but the money gone. carlingtone maize saga, Wezi kaunda’s death, ask KK. The List is endless. Chiluba ran a corrupt regime.
George Kunda decided to listen to the colonialists?
Now George Kunda is MUTE on this topic.
WHY?
Zambia has nobody to blame for what happened except to blame G.K and MMD who chose to chase Chiluba for the wrong way.
Can mr Cifire produce EVIDENCE to his words?
Or is this just another MMD sponsored comment?
I think MMD has the opinion that NO AFRICAN LEADER IS CORRUPT AND THAT ALL MONEY STOLEN IN THE PAST 30 YEARS WAS JUST IMAGINARY!
Corruption is what has killed African countries.
It sure is not how smart these leaders are in running their own countries.
Unrepentant Colonialists says:
August 30, 2010 at 9:09 am
Britain, another joke in this world……………
ZAMBIA IS THE BUTT OF POOR LEADERSHIP JOKES.
WHY DOES ZAMBIA NOT LEAVE THE COMMONWEALTH?
PACK OF LOSERS IN MMD NEED DONOR FUNDS TO SURVIVE.
TAKE CHILUBA BACK TO THE SAME COURT AND REGISTER THE JUDGMENT.
THEN SEE HOW FAR HE WILL TRAVEL IN THIS WORLD.
WHEN THE OPPOSITION WINS POWER WATCH CHILUBA AND BANDA SEEK ASYLUM IN ZIMBABWE.
this thug is drunk all the time..never give him media coverage pliz..cadres…!!
This guy is so dull even a dog cannot bark at him. Let him keep talking s.h.it coz his life is in c.r.a.p. He is not an intelligent chap just ignore his rants, Ala bane alatupenya, lishilu just ignore him.
how can a whole country be mislead by a foreign country? if this is possible then zambians are dull fulu stop! thats why these days i dont say i am zambian! mwali pwalala va chimbwi imwe. now i am hoping to get plastic surgery to become white, iyi nkanda yaliba cursed.
That is why when i Went to UNZA i neva wanted to study law because the profession is just too ligidy as alistotle would put it. The truth is that CHILUBA stole but due to technicalities the chap is still looming our streets. Wish mob justice could be legalised
Rupiah Banda is taking a risky move in his political calculations. His strategiests feel PF’s bemba bloc vote was brought about the `Anti Bemba’ stance Levy took, in part by taking Chiluba to court. Hence the MMD feel if they can unshackle Chiluba from his crimes and present themselves, to Bembas, as friends of Chiluba. hoping this will wrestle Bemba support from PF to them the MMD.
This might work in Luapula (like many other rural Zambian provinces) where tribe is at times the only cardinal thing in an election choice.
On the C belt PF’s strength comes from it’s pro Zambian stance; unlike the MMD’s pro investor stance at the expense of the Zambians. With or without Chiluba the MMD can’t win in the Copperbelt unless there is a fundamental shift in their approach to invester…
As for Lusaka, the place is fgull of very angry citizens who openly deride the MMD and it’s precieved misdeeds. To talk in support of the MMD in public will get you strong rebukes and at times even verbal abuse. Hence the MMD dont stand a chance inthe province at all.
The negative side of their Chiluba gamble might be aleinating themselves from Western, Southern and Northwestern ( a province that seems to have turned with the death of Levy). Many from these provinces had issues with Chiluba’s bad rule and his resurfacing to the helm of the MMD will lead many to abandon the MMD.
In brief the wisdom of cleaning Chiluba and using him as a campaign tool might later turn out to be folly.
Akusabaileni Twakulaumfwa !
FTJ Is a Common Thief Everybody Knows time will tell
As an independent observer, I am impressed with the pro-Hamaundu judgement camp, because they keep coming up with facts that the other camp does not encounter with evidence but pure speculation, emotion and innuendo. The High Commision was right when it said that the Zambian government brought the prosecution against Chiluba, but it omitted to mention that the UK government bank rolled the prosecution. In treason, both the financier and the activists are guilty.