Transparency International Zambia has welcomed the decision by the Anti-Corruption Commission to arrest Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya.
TIZ President Reuben Lifuka says it is his Organisation’s hope that the necessary groundwork has been done and there is a good basis to pursue this course of action.
Mr Lifuka says Dr Chilufya now has an opportunity to mount his defence before the courts of law and seek to clear his name.
He said this decision, like many others in the past, should be in the furtherance of the ideals of entrenching transparency and
accountability in the discharge of public service.
Mr Lifuka says TIZ will continue to prod the ACC to continue to discharge its duties without fear or favour and to focus only on serving national interests and nothing else.
He has called on President Edgar Lungu to consider relieving the Minister of Health of his duties and allow him first and foremost, focus on his defence and secondly, to insulate his own government from unfortunate distractions which this case may present if the said Minister remains in his office.
Mr Lifuka said he does not agree that President Lungu should limit himself to doing only what is legally provided for when making such a decision, but he should also do what is morally right.
He said President Lungu as to strike a balance and ensure that the ACC does its job as independently as possible, while protecting the presumption of innocence of Hon Chilufya.
Mr Lifuka said asking his Minister to step aside, is not to prejudge him, it is to protect the integrity of the investigative process.
He said TIZ will follow this case with keen interest and expressed hope that the ACC will be allowed to prosecute this case to its full conclusion.
Judiciary in Zambia favours people that are connected to the Ruling Party and the President. What happened in the verdicts of Prof Luo and Margret Mwanakatwe? Chitalu Chilufya will be declared innocent unless he is no longer in good books with the President.
this is not good for the noble profession of medicine. the lesson for the Zambian society is that we do everything possible to discourage medical doctors from engaging into active politics least they fall into temptations that bring their names names in dispute with the ethical values of the profession.
In a normal society it would be expected that the Minister would resign and if not the president would relinquish his services. We are however dealing with a rotten govt to the core. I doubt we are to see any of the two actions.
Don’t count your chickens yet TIZ, just don’t. A prosecution can be bungled.
Maybe Botswana but not in Zambia, he will walk away a free man with stolen billions in his pockets.
The Bible says the your judges are not just and it is a true reflection of what is happening in Zambia.
What about the medical equipment he bought?
Another dead case, under a different leader you would be hopeful that justice will prevail, now with our humble Edgar he only fires district commissioners and not his corrupt ministers Chitalu Chilufya is as free as a bird, nothing good will come out of this case, examples are there.
TIZ another useless organisation built on the western ideals that Africans are corrupt and thieves. And yet the thieves are themselves who stole and exploited Africa’s resources and used slave labour to develop their countries. Now they fund such organisations and have stooges like lifuka dressed in suits making you believe that the enemy is your fellow African. Meanwhile the diasporans don’t even know who they are anymore. Even with racism they continue to believe they are welcome in diaspora. What a joke haha
Lifuka you are not asking the President to drop this man from ministerial position but to allow him become worse a thief than ever.
When such activities are happening, we start doubting the credibility of the Judiciary and the state. This is just to clear him by his friend Chagwa.
We have been inundated with nolle-prosecutions in the past. This is yet another one to come. God help Zambia.
KZ you are talking now as soon as your wings will get cut off no more flying you will stop stupid comments and you will be busy appearing in courts.dont think PF will be for ever in government mulandu siubola one day you will dance picture no sound music.you are rich today coz of stolen money.we have clean money no one can come ask any question over it,yours soon you will be a punching bag with the same police officers protecting you. You are living a life like a tongue in mouth being protected by teeth same teeth will bite you. Days are numbered
KZ,YOU ARE THE BIGGEST FOOL AND MORON ZAMBIA EVER HAD.INSTEAD OF U TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY YOU ARE NOW CONDEMNING IT. NWAY,NEXT YR ACC IS COMING ON YOU. IT WILL BE WORSE OFF FOR U.
This is just circus of PF drama and where would you arrest someone and 10 minutes he is released on police bond?
PF must go!
It is PF internal leadership fights. Some think Chilufya could challenge Edgar at the PF convention.
Thank God the PF stopped using pangas, except their thug leader Lusambo.
By-the-way, why Chilufya arrest went so fast, we expected Lusambo to be jailed first.
@KZ your narration cannot put tomato on the table. Presently, all African countries are in post-colonial era that means we are in total control of our natural resources including labour. Blaming colonial masters now is utter worth litter receptacle! Corrupt thieves.
This organisation is sleepy…have you not seen this movie before!!
Are we stupid or what? Chilufya never even left his house. He was just virtually arrested. On paper only. And his case won’t go anywhere just all other corruption cases.
Forget the courts, we as citizens need to set up our own court and start arresting stealing politicians.