UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says the manner in which President Edgar Lungu has recanted to the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) annual report confirms his lack of seriousness in dealing with corruption.
Speaking at KKIA lasts evening when he arrived from Ndola, President Lungu said the FIC report is fueling gossip and that it was just full of “Mfwiti Mfwiti.”
But Mr Hichilema said President Lungu has dismissed the FIC report detailing financial embezzlement as “mfwiti mfwiti” because he is at the epicenter.
Mr Hichilema said If he were in President Lungu’s position, he would have immediately called on the ACC, DEC and the Police to independently study the FIC report and expedite investigations and bring all the named suspects to book.
He said the FIC report has revealed yet again that corruption under President Lungu’s Government has reached alarming levels.
“This corruption and resulting high taxes should worry every Zambian, who is now overtaxed, cannot access health care nor have a quality education. This corruption coupled with the strange act of PF’s expropriation of KCM has further eroded investor confidence,” Mr Hichilema said.
The FIC report shows that as of 2018, K6.1 billion had been stolen by scams and rackets which involved politicians in the PF.
He charged that Zambians can safely say the country is in economic turmoil.The FIC report shows that as of 2018, K6.1 billion had been stolen by scams and rackets which involved politicians in the PF.
The figure is up from 6.1 billion from K4.5 billion reported by FIC in 2017.
“Edgar Lungu was handed that report, but he did NOTHING. Now he has been handed this latest report which cites examples of terrorist funding from Zambia and he still does NOTHING, in the meantime the country is haemorrhaging and the people of Zambia are paying dearly while their President is preoccupied with defending criminals,” Mr Hichilema said.
“UPND’s policy of zero tolerance on corruption is clear and this is why we say: Mr Lungu must reflect on his insatiable appetite for corruption because we, in the UPND, together with the people of Zambia would like to channel these resources and public funds to improving the welfare of every Zambian. In the midst of a distressed economy where government is failing to pay salaries and suppliers, such financial leakage must be stopped.”
He said the UPND has guided that oversight institutions such as Anti-Corruption Commission, Drug Enforcement Commission, National Prosecution Authority and the Judiciary need to not only be strengthened but given independence to fulfil their mandate without fear or favour.
“The same people being investigated are the same ones responsible for appointing people to positions in these institutions. The level of the greed by certain individuals is staggering, as reflected in the FIC report. The culture of corruption has become endemic and synonymous with the PF leadership.”
He added, “We are greatly concerned about this as the rot has continued to deepen. Only a change of administration can avert such a decline in ethics and fiscal discipline.”
“It is an insult to the millions of Zambians, suffering in this weak economy that is on its knees due to poor economic management and blatant corruption.”
He said the loss of 6.1 Billion Kwacha in a space of 9 months is a clear indication that the PF has utterly failed to govern in the interest of Zambians adding that they are on a path of destruction.
“This money would have cleared all arrears that UNZA has, would have provided water to all residents of Kitwe. This money would have been used to buy drugs in hospitals. Let me put this into perspective, the money stolen is 93% of the 2019 budget for roads, 272% of the 2019 budget for hospitals, 120% of our defence budget; 308% of water and sanitation. This is the cesspit that we are entertaining from the PF government.”
He stated, “We need total independence for the law enforcement agencies across the board, security of tenure for all employees must be guaranteed by the constitution. There should be an end to officers being fired in so called national interest for doing their job. We challenge the law makers to ensure that they develop laws to safeguard the law enforcement agencies.”
“Secondly we demand that Edgar Lungu cracks the whip, he cannot tell us that he truly believes one fire engine can cost one million US dollars. Thirdly we demand that the ACC and other arms of the law take these matters up.”
He said, “One case is very clear, the procurement of fire engines does not need forensics, everyone can see there was corruption on a grand scale at play here. Zambians deserve better. Enough is enough.”
Like a broken record repeating
Oh my! He can repeat himself all he want … what matters is his concern! Imagine you are running a company and such a report lands on your a$$, would you just dismiss it as hearsay?
shfh!
Mr. Lungu has brought shame to our country, and untold misery to citizens.
He clearly champions corruption and theft.
I pray one day that most of the money stolen will be recovered, and the culprits thrown into prison.
I didn’t believe in FIC, because Kambwili’s name was missing. Or probably that’s a 2019 report?
K 6billion stolen is not a joke ba cadre Ndanje, what exactly do you want HH as an opposition leader to talk about? The weather? Shall we grow up bane, these are not jokes. You fail to comment on your dull president’s rubbishing of the FIC report but you are the first chap here to condemn a person demanding accountability like every SANE Zambian? Bu cadre nabo.
Dude love I don’t expect anything else from you so I will ask you why even when it’s not a secret that Kambwili is a thief you are still supporting his nonsense. If Lungu has stolen, his time to face the law will come so why sweat?
Editor please change HH picture. He looks ugly in the cation rendering all what he says ugly and useless as well. His face scares me
Ndanje, the issue here is not Kambwili but the treasury as a whole. Focus on the bigger picture. Kambwili if he did steal and is part of the FIC PEP then he loses my support, simple. Right now there is no proof of Kambwili’s theft just as there has been no proof of HH’s theft. Chitotela has been arrested three times and I have not seen any comment from you condemning him. Are you that much of a hypocrite ba bwana? Do not reduce the theft of K6 billion under Lungu’s watch and equate to suspected theft from Kambwili, that is pure nonsense mune. See why I insist you are addicted to just petty things and cannot debate on a strategic level?
Yes Lungu is a thief. Lungu is Zambia’s biggest enemy. Lungu hates Zambia, that is why he has allowed unabated plunder so as to make sure he has completely destructed our country.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT FROM A FOREIGNER WHO HAS NO SENSE OF BELONGING?
K6.1 Billion has vanished and the President is impotent, you ask him he shows no responsibility whatsoever even when reports are piling on his desk …he does not feel the pain as they are the ones benefiting his daughter Tasila is now a philanthropist in a space of 3 years and this is a mere Ward Councillor…she is co-donating a whole Police Post with Lebanese business men.
Not only Edgar is impotent, it’s Zambians who are impotent. PF thugs are already openly f!cking your minds in Katuba and you doing nothing about it.
If Zambians were serious, they wouldn’t allow PF participate in any elections.
Just STOP them.
Close ECZ
Close ACC
These 2 institutions are the ones who have installed thugs in government.
Close the government. Close it.
Sometimes I wonder what processes go into Akainde’s brain before he speaks. He is so uncoordinated.
Hakainde is concerned with the lack of seriousness as a Zambian taxpayer ….do you not pay tax..do you not feel the pain? The problem is most f you cadres don’t work in the formal sector you are briefcase businessmen like Max Chongo or Bowman who claim to successful.
Chagwa is an embarrassment to Zambians, well except PFoools who view him in a different light because they are all retards any way with 0 IQ, how can a normal person with a brain try to justify all this corruption thats going on…. only a moron can think he has a chance in hell
@Albert, go to a funeral and listen to women mourn, you will call it UNCOORDINATED.
Even @Jay Jay call me uncoordinated and drunk, I don’t care. Why!? Because a sad and pissed off man has a alot to say.
HH is sad and pissed off, let him speak his mind, some of us are mourning with him. PF have murdered Zambia.
May Zambia rest in peace.
@Nostradamus, You have been negative against PF right from its wining the election. You said all sorts of things against President Sata MHSRIP and you even jubilated his passing on like other chaps with rotten heads. You hated ECL upon his winning the election against 5 time Kalusa. All this is hogwash from your mouth. You must be from gwembe or dundumwezi and I can bet my little finger on it.
“This money would have cleared all arrears that UNZA has, would have provided water to all residents of Kitwe. This money would have been used to buy drugs in hospitals. Let me put this into perspective, the money stolen is 93% of the 2019 budget for roads, 272% of the 2019 budget for hospitals, 120% of our defence budget; 308% of water and sanitation. This is the cesspit that we are entertaining from the PF government.”
Eve when you put into perceptive with colouful crayons I doubt it will sink in with PF cadres and some docile Zambians.
Imagine a Chief Executive of a company is told by a whistle blower about missing stock in a shop and even when the company is making huge losses he still does not want to act. That’s were we are
Skylab – In developed countries everyone including Ruling party members would stand together as its public funds being abused to put pressure on the President to show responsibility but we have morons called foooolish cadres in Zambia who are on this thread who are concerned with other issues.
How a zambian citizen can be insulted for saying the above is a serious indictment on our seriousness.Surely how can a public institution be established and then all of sudden all it does is spread gossip.Really?? something is amiss
Its shocking people are stealing their money they are concerned about petty issues.
HH is useless and careless talker.
We are in serious trouble as a nation
The money will be recovered just like Nigeria have recouped the money that was stolen by Sani Abacha.
Nigerians were only paid interest the rest is still in the account working for the Swiss Bank.
So says the only Zambian exposed as having Laundered money through the Panama papers scandal and who the Nation is waiting for an explanation from as regards to how the Chiluba Govt overpaid the receiver for Luanshya mine privatization so that the overpayment can be shared behind closed doors but someone swindled the swindlers and kept it all for himself. Some things are better kept quiet, as the English say it’s like the black kettle calling the pot black or that People in Glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
HH’s alleged crimes only exist in the tiny brains of PF supporters. The man has offered you a three bedroomed house if you produce proof of his corruption but yet here you are still yapping like a m0r0n. Shame.
This know that in the last days PF will rule Zambia.
Indeed PF last days but we don’t want UPND either. It’s leader is a dictator who refuses to be challenged in a leadership contest.
Very soon the PF administrations will the change the rules. For instance;
1. When the mines wanted VAT refund the government rushed to introduce Sales tax.
2. Emerlyn Kabanshi was suspected to have stolen social cash transfer was fired instantly but in case of Chitotela, they said he is considered innocent until proved guilty .According to the Zambian constitution or Law.
3. FIC report they will change it by saying as longer as the report was not handed to him first, then it will be considered “null nd void”. According to section 1,subsection 2 Article 3, chapter 4,subchapter 5 of the Zambian 2019, June 6th; 07:00hrs.
4. 50+1% will be changed by providing coalition arrangement
5. Independent Broadcasting Authority wants to the broadcasting arrangement by submitting one’s program…
5. Independent Broadcasting Authority wants to the broadcasting arrangement by submitting one’s program recording to IBA a week or two in advance .The first of such a situation on the earth ,to be practiced .
6. PF government were attacking UPND for not going for convention ,but KBF showed interest in contesting for a higher position ,he was found a case to answer hence suspension. The PF convention is not an issue not because of austerity measures ,KCM liquidation and FIC
sometimes I fail to understand what kind of people we have in Zambia…….who fails to differentiate important issues with political affiliation.
HH naiwe don’t play politics. You and I used to throw away such poorly written reports back then at Coopers and Lybrand. On what basis would the President recommend ACC or DEC to act? You want DEC or ACC to act because Barber shops are not paying presumptive tax or because precious stones are auctioned abroad? Does the report make mention anywhere that barber shop owners have been depositing huge sums of cash way above the threshold, if at all there is one? Be serious mune!
What do we expect ! our friend to told us before that “HE HAS NO VISION” for this mother Zambia, that’s why he has been busy bring in a bunch of MMD cadres to rule this country. KK is he just watching & laughing at the so called PF guys, mwamonaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!
@1, too much hatred for someone leads to blindness. Our country is gone and all you see is your hatred for HH. You may not like the guy but when he says something that affects us all, lets support him. The same goes for the other camp, when ECL says or does something for our own good, lets support him. Lets focus on the bigger picture. we are struggling now economically but are u aware that we have not yet started paying for the EURO bond? I’m told two are due in 2022. Do you ever sit and imagine how it will be then? I’m just coming from Town center, what i saw is a serious sorry sight. The very kaponyas who were singing praises- sleeping in the shops corridors, crying of hunger
The rats are jumping ship. Amos Chanda has resigned. Probably why daft Lungu was irritable at the airport yesterday. Usually the smell of jet fuel puts him in a jolly mood.
Hahaha ,this PF came to power in 2011 lying loudly that they were “allergic to corruption “.Now see their true colours of “being addicted to corruption”?
The thing of accusing those in leadership is funny. Ayatou the long serving president of the African Football Confederation was accused of sorts of crimes by his competitors. Today his successor Ahmed Ahmed has been arrested in France for corruption. ..just a few years of ousting the person he accused of corruption.
Ichi nacho,continue to your fellow tribal folks .
USELESS
Ichi nacho chi Mr P. Very useless!
Honestly, our leaders ought to be serious about this continued embezzlement of public funds. This country is economically and morally on fire. The levels of impunity towards public funds is alarming.
Twapapata!!! We can not turn a blind eye to what is happening in this country. This issue is not about which party you belong to…no!!! It is an issue of being a conscious steward of the public funds.
Let’s be serious for once….. Honestly, we can do better mwebena Zambia. Leaders let’s not lose it all…namipapata…The country is crying to you. Be firm, correct things, stamp out theft n corruption, have a genuine passion for this nation.
Bushe kanshi, don’t we read and hear about countries who are doing fine.
If we can’t come up with good governance policies… Ku kopako…
“Mr Hichilema said If he were in President Lungu’s position, he would have immediately called on the ACC, DEC and the Police to independently study the FIC report and expedite investigations and bring all the named suspects to book.”
Of course you will never be in that position Trib.al Hacks. And the reason is simply that you stink trib.al from 2006 to date, having added more trib.al skin, not subtracting or cleaning it, over the years.
mr know it all mr hh the moneys in fic report are moneys being peddled by some people in the nation could be politician or any other person’s. so its not only gvmnt officials for it to be all money from the treasury. disgusting.
Ba @Geogi mulichipuba!!
This is a colossal amount of money that could have been used wisely on social services, could have paid off retirees arrears, bought medicine and medical equipment for hospitals e.t.c the list is endless. Like HH or not this a national issue which should concern every hard working tax payer of this country.
The President needs to show leadership for once
This amount…. is like £300M, approximate, after exchange rate is applied. Realistically it wouldn’t cover roads.hospital, university lecturer/,Civil servant salaries.
There does need to be investigations, to pin point culprits. Before that it’s a breach of human rights to point fingers, and violate the dignity of others who are entitled to a fair trial in a Court not on Social Media.
One group we are certain of is the legal firms facilitating leakages of Zambian monies to foreign countries.
One of the worst tragedies we have is a cohort of people that defend tyranny and the continuous usurpation of resources at the expense of the people. History is replete with the likes of @Ndanje and a few other like bloggers who have propped up murderous regimes. Stubbornly refusing to accept the truth for your own selfish inhuman considerations will soon meet you your waterloo.
‘A fly that refuses good advice, follows the corpse into the grave’.
Boom chanda has resign from pf thugs!!!!
I agree with one blogger who suggested in his comment above that from now henceforth PF should not be allowed to participate in any by elections as punishment for having destroyed our country’s economy.
AND WE SHOULD ALL PUSH FOR LUNGU’S RESIGNATION.
There is a lot of misunderstanding on how the FIC collects its data. For the information of haters with selective uselessness, let me educate you briefly.
1. If you have a bank account as an individual and an equivalent of $5,000 enters your account or you remit similar amount and above, your bank send your name to FIC. for companies the amount is $10,000.
2. These are the funds they sometimes call suspicious
3. Some of you making noise like empty tins may be part of this report and the unfortunate part of it is the FIC Report does not mention names or companies involved
4. There is need for this FIC report to mention names so that the witch hunting and pouring everything on the Government is curtailed and we know exactly who are evading Tax, Laundering money and those involved in…
4. There is need for this FIC report to mention names so that the witch hunting and pouring everything on the Government is curtailed and we know exactly who are evading Tax, Laundering money and those involved in funding terrorist
5. The FIC was actually founded on tracking illicit funding of terrorism
6. I am sure some of the greatest noise makers like akainde and kambwili are part of this report
The amount involved is is not all Government money
IWE HAKAINDE A PERCENTAGE CANNOT BE MORE THAN 100% IT SHALL ALWAYS BE LESS THAN 100% OR IN SIMPLE TERMS PERCENT IS A MEASURE OF ANYTHING OUT OF 100 SO IF ITS ABOVE 100 IT MEANS THE PERSON U ARE TALKING ABOUT WILL ALWAYS BEAT YOU IN ANYTHING ELECTIONS ERECTIONS SPORTS ,EATING ETC SO BETTER STOP COMMENTING ON FIGURES COS. PEOPLE WILL VOTE WISELY 2021
This man seem to enjoy speculations. So where there are no answers he quickly feeds in to it and begins to slot in names as suits the UPND. FIC was not created for Government alone. How is he going to feel if one of his Men in UPND is arrested over the same. This mans thinking doesn’t go beyond peeping in to Government officials activities. So narrow.
My take is that FIC should find a better way of publicizing the document. Leaving out names of people involved in the crimes will only bring speculations that might damage names of the innocent permanently especially that we have some opposition parties and some NGOs that are basically rumor mongers.
It is time to consolidate government and hang a white man.Enough is enough.Peter Carlos Hinds.