Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Former President Lungu urged to support his claims with evidence

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President Lungu complains, with evident high distress levels, that his family is being accused of and punished for possessing extreme wealth. His unhappiness is that no one has told him where he, who gave them what they own, stole from.

He argues that, surely as a successful lawyer then Republican President, he earned the millions and millons in question.
I didn’t know what to think of that so basically erroneous understanding of the law – coming from a lawyer. What it did remind me of, though, was the former President’s frustrating – bring me the evidence – argument when he was in office and asked to deal with perceived high levels of corruption, in his government.

As many will remember the apex of that – I will act if you show me where they stole from – position was that mfwiti mfwiti performance at Ndola Airport, I think it was.

Anyhow, President Lungu, I know lawyers, like doctors, do not like ordinary mortals to correct them on a matter in their profession. But then, you are so wrong in your expressed understanding of how things work.
It’s like this. As regards what we own, it is not the responsibility of law enforcement to show that it was obtained via less than kosher means. It is our responsibility and fully so, to have and present receipts.

Simply, it is not enough to say – because I was a prominent lawyer, then President of the nation, I could afford to gift my whole family – wife and children, with my wife also gifting nieces etc – property collectively worth tens of millions of dollars. Rather, what you should do is:

1. Show how your legal earnings as lawyer and President – add any businesses maybe – amounted to these millions.

2. Show the tax you paid on all these earnings. Salaries are easy. It’s the business earnings you have to prove you paid tax on. You understand, I am sure, as former President, how paying tax is a critical responsibility of all citizens, if we are all to have passably decent schools and hospitals – vaso.

3. Prove that you bought the properties members of your family own (from these earned millions) then gifted them, or how you transferred money for them to purchase properties and scores of vehicles.
It’s easy really. It’s the legal trail of money, Sir. Show the investigators the trail of legal money, and all the problems your beloved wife, sons and daughters are experiencing will go away.

By Laura Miti

21 COMMENTS

  1. Well put, Ms. Miti. Unfortunately, ECL thinks he is on cloud-9 and deserves no questioning by less mortals, from whom he only wants votes. Yaaba…

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    • I cannot agree more, one Sangwa once said prominent lawyer would go to court unprepared ad marinated in some juice. Just wondering how such a lawyer was able to make so much money, considering he even had to make some payment arrangement to settle a debt of K35,000. Anyway let us wait for commentary from Kasama mayor Theresa Kolala and His Excellence Ambassador Munuwelo Mwam

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    • Why doesn’t she also urge current President Hakainde to support his claims with evidence.
      He has never told us how he jumped from economist with K3000 salary to billionaire.
      This is not to defend Lungu but ask for similar treatment for both thieves

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  2. Kuti twabelela uluse lelo tekuti tulabe ,we can forgive but we cannot forget. No room on the ballot for violent kleptocrats.

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  3. ……….

    Lungu stole a lot of money, ……

    He was corruptly being paid by third parties in the hope that no direct link to thefts will show, however………

    He overlooked the cover for the money trials for those proceeds of corruption…….

    The PF GRZ under lungu was a syndicate for corruption, it seems most of them were busy stealing…….

  4. ………

    They campain to go and steal, not serve the people………

    Let’s just pass a law, every high level GRZ official, including the president……..

    Must be investigated for corruption on leaving office………because they all seem to go to steal……..

    Some even buying helicopters with GRZ money………

  5. Earned? This is farfetched, the job of president does not pay that much. As for being a lawyer, we all know he was on the streets before becoming minister under PF. Unless Lungu was offering legal services while being republican president, which is laughable all the same.

  6. A good article! It is absolutely correct that taxes are needed to build civil infrastructure, it is also correct that taxes are paid by all citizens who earn a sufficient qualifying level of income, whether that income is salaried, or derived from investments, is irelevent. Transparency must be provided at all levels, if not then society will continue to feel discontented, rebellious, and indeed discentivised! A good example must always start at the top, meaning Govnt, civil service officials, the business establishment, and indeed all those in receipt of public salaries! Anything less will confine Zambia to a destiny of shambling incompetence and a profile of suspicion by international investors!

  7. ………

    I see Mr lungu eventually comming back to beg for his presidential retairment benefits……….

    When he finishes his money running for president that he has hidden in zambia and his backers out side zambia take away and high Jack his hidden assets knowing he can not legally claim them……….

    He will be broke soon

    He is a poor manager of resources as proven when he was president.

  8. Doesnt Zambian law put the onus on the prosecution to prove theft? Does the accused stand in court to convince the judge that this was his hard earned money?

  9. It is a fundamental principle of criminal justice that the burden of proof must always rest on the State to establish guilt. Unfortunately, many citizens have failed to appreciate that this extends beyond political differences, and we must uphold the rule of law and limit unchecked State power. Ms. Laura Miti’s comments are misguided and based on flawed forfeiture laws, which have been deemed unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal in recent decisions for violating the accused’s fundamental rights. The UPND may regret undermining the judiciary for their own interests, as they will also eventually leave office and potentially face similar legal abuses. Shouldn’t Ms. Laura Miti stop encouraging this cycle of lawlessness to continue?

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    • Lungu says…which ministry, how, when… I stole… the State must pin point these. Maybe Lungu received donations ( which I suspect the incumbent is also receiving) which he was supposed to declare but didn’t.

    • The prosecutor proved his case. No income to substantiate the flats, no trail of any money which came from Lungu to the wife. When this was put to her she failed to prove otherwise. Case closed

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