INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police Martin Malama says more former leaders will soon start appearing in court over the corruption cases under investigation. Dr Malama said in an interview yesterday that the police are grateful for the patience exhibited by members of the public since the investigations started.

“We understand the concern about delays in prosecuting the matters, which is genuine. There are many cases and some of them will be in court soon,” Dr Malama said in an interview yesterday.

He said police will not take the patience for granted, adding that the investigations have not been about parading people in the media.

He said all the people who have been investigated will be subjected to the criminal justice system, as and when evidence is available.

A combined team of law enforcement officers has interrogated former Finance and National Planning minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, former Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale and former Education Minister Dora Siliya.

The team is made up of officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Zambia Police.

The team has also interviewed former Labour and Social Security Minister Austin Liato and former Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga.

Mr Liato and former DEC chief Aaron Zulu are the only ones who have appeared in court. Mr Liato made headlines when K2 billion was dug from a concrete slab at his farm in Mumbwa and Mr Konga was warned and cautioned over the weekend concerning a number of properties he owns.

Mr Zulu is linked to the gold scam, in which gold, forfeited to the state following a court case, was sold to a Swiss national.

Zambia’s former High Commissioner to Canada Nevers Mumba has also been interrogated.

Lusaka lawyer Sakwiba Sikota, who is representing all former leaders under investigation, has called the investigations a ‘fishing expedition’.

Police have summoned former president Rupiah Banda’s spokesperson Dickson Jere and some Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) senior officials over the sale of gold to a Swiss national and some bicycles left over from the election campaign.

The DEC in July 2011 privately auctioned off seized gold to a Swiss official, at a whopping US$4 million. The gold was believed to have been undervalued.

Mr Jere was summoned over allegations that he helped to single-source the buyers of the gold. He reported to the team on Monday October 17, 2011.

In 2007, the DEC seized 119 kilogrammes of gold worth over US$7 million at the Lusaka International Airport (now Kenneth Kaunda International Airport) from two Zimbabwean nationals who tried to evade sanctions against Zimbabwe and attempted to re-export the gold through Zambia.

Former President Levy Mwanawasa moved former minister of Home Affairs Ronnie Shikapwasha to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting when it emerged that he had shown interest in buying the gold at “disposal value”.

The team also summoned Likolo Ndalamei, the former Secretary to Treasury, who authorised the sale of the forfeited gold.

Investigators have searched various homes and offices of senior MMD officials close to former President Rupiah Banda.

The team conducted a day-long search on the offices of Henry Banda, president Rupiah Banda’s son. Henry was a key figure in the MMD campaign before the September 2011 presidential and general elections, won by Mr MichaelSata.

Although Henry held no official position in the MMD Presidential Campaign Committee headed by prominent politician Dr Boniface Kawimbe, police believe he played a significant role in the sourcing of campaign funds for the MMD.

The team also confiscated 49 bicycles and two motor vehicles, a Toyota Dyna and Toyota Hilux, from MMD deputy national chairman Kabinga Pande’s home in Makeni.
Police seized over 1,000 bicycles from Dr Musokotwane’s home in Makeni.

And Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka says revelations of an ‘increased’ number of corruption and abuse of office cases involving former leaders vindicates his organisation which resisted the removal of the abuse of office clause by the former administration for self-preservation purposes.

Mr Lifuka said in Lusaka yesterday that the move was ‘a self-serving measure’ which in fact legalised abuse of office and shielded the offenders.

He was commenting on the increasing list of senior officials in the Rupiah Banda administration that has sucked in the former President himself and his close aides.

Mr. Lifuka said his organisation had vehemently opposed the removal of the clause for fear of wanton and unabated abuses and has called for authorities to cast their net wider and leave no stone unturned as they step up their investigations.

“The conduct of former cabinet ministers who have been caught up in conflict of interest cases should be investigated and appropriate measures taken. It is evident that other ministers could have used their positions of authority to cut deals for companies in which they were shareholders,” Mr. Lifuka said.

He cited the case of former Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane as an example saying clearly, more ministers are likely to have abused their positions of authority.
Mr. Lifuka said Dr Musokotwane’s actions were clear breach of Zambian law.

Mr Lifuka said Dr Musokotwane has not disputed the fact that he is a director of ZamBuild Investment Ltd – a company that supplied concrete building blocks to Varun Beverages, a company he admitted having authorised to take a K10.8 billion tax holiday or deferment.

TIZ is disturbed by Dr Musokotwane’s reaction that there was ‘no conflict of interest’ because he is just a shareholder and not in management of a company that supplied building blocks to Varun, a company he awarded a tax deferment.

“This conflict of interest does not become any lighter simply because he is just a shareholder and not in management. As a shareholder, it is in his interest that the company operates in an ethical manner and does not get involved in deals which drag his name into disrepute. The law is clear, the former minister should have formally written to the authorities declaring private or personal interest in the matter,” Mr Lifuka said.

Mr Lifuka said Dr Musokotwane, as a public officer who was instrumental in providing necessary support to Varun Beverages to invest in Zambia, should not have taken advantage of his unique position to conduct business with the same company.

He said it is important for Government to institute measures to strengthen the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act and ensure that all declarations of assets and liabilities by the Vice-President, Cabinet Ministers and members of Parliament, are verified and all false declarations are penalised.

“It is clear that the definition of misconduct of elected public officials in the Act is limited and should be broadened,” Mr Lifuka said.

Mr Lifuka also urged Government to immediately institute measures to operationalise the Public Interest Disclosure (protection of whistle-blowers) Act.

“We are very confident that there are numerous whistle-blowers out there who are aware of the several indiscretions of the past administration and can provide useful leads to investigative agencies,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

ANYONE calling for dialogue over the Barotseland Agreement is pushing an open door because Government has already instituted measures to find a lasting solution to the issue, Minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu said in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Zulu said in an interview that the commission of inquiry which Government constituted on the Mongu killings has concluded its work and will soon present its findings to Government.

“Those calling for talks over the Barotseland issue are pushing an open door because Government is already looking into it through the inquiry that was appointed,” Mr Zulu said.

He said the commission has finished its work and is already compiling it before it is presented to President Sata.

“Government will find a way forward when the report is ready, so I don’t see any reason why anyone should say Government must dialogue,” Mr Zulu said.

He said the commission, which had been receiving views from members of the public, will recommend possible solutions to the Barotseland issue.

Foundation for Democratic Process executive director MacDonald Chipenzi has urged President Sata to call for a tripartite meeting on the Barotseland Agreement.

He said there should be a meeting involving the Litunga, former president Kenneth Kaunda and Mr Sata.

Mr Chipenzi said this in the wake of revelations by President Sata that a group of people in Western Province is attempting to form its own State within Zambia.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

FORMER Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane should have declared interest in a transaction in which his company supplied blocks for construction of the Varun Beverages plant in Lusaka.

Justice Minister, Sebastian Zulu said the former minister should not have allowed a company in which he had interest to engage in a transaction with Varun, the producer of Pepsi drinks.

Mr Zulu said this in reaction to revelations that ZamBuild Investments Limited, in which Dr Musokotwane is a shareholder, supplied blocks for the construction of Varun Beverages in the industrial area.

He said the transaction raised issues of morality of a public officer, who was in charge of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning at the time Varun was getting established in Zambia.

And Patriotic Front (PF) national youth chairperson, Chishimba Kambwili has said revelations that Dr Musokotwane’s company supplied blocks for construction of the Pepsi plant in Lusaka showed that there was ‘recklessness’ in the handling of public affairs during the MMD administration.

Mr Kambwili, who is Foreign Affairs Minister, has since advised Dr Musokotwane to resign as Liuwa Member of Parliament (MP) on moral grounds.

He said the former minister should have declared interest in the matter given that he was Finance minister at the time Varun was getting established in Zambia.

“My only advice to Dr Musokotwane is that he should resign as MP because his hands are soiled. Law makers should be above board and as such, it will only be good if he resigns on moral grounds,” Mr Kambwili said in an interview.

Dr Musokotwane said ZamBuild could have supplied the bricks because they were of high quality and that he was only a shareholder in the company.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Government has advised former Republican president Rupiah Banda to choose between clinging on to the MMD presidency and losing out on his emoluments.

Chief Government spokesperson, Given Lubinda said Mr Banda should stop ‘shedding crocodile tears’ because he had an option of choosing between remaining in active politics or retiring so that he could access his benefits.

Mr Lubinda said it was a pity that despite being a president of Zambia for three years, Mr Banda could not correctly interpret the Benefits of Former Presidents Act.

The Act states that a former president who engages in active politics cannot be deemed to have retired, hence his benefits could not be paid.

Mr Banda on Sunday said it was not fair for the Government to discontinue paying him his emoluments, insisting that he was not involved in active politics.

He said he was merely holding on to the MMD presidency to facilitate a smooth transition while the former ruling party prepared to hold its extraordinary convention in April next year.

However, Mr Lubinda said it was shocking that Mr Banda could not interpret such a simple and clear law concerning his emoluments.

“He has to choose whether to give up politics and get his benefits or remain as president of the MMD and lose out because that is what the law stipulates.”

[Times of Zambia]

By Concerned Journalist

The decision by Times of Zambia managing director Mr Godfrey Malama to demote some editors at Times of Zambia newspaper can only be regarded as witch-hunt and interference by the PF government in the affairs of public media.

It is not true that what information minister Given Lubinda says that the PF government will not interfere in the operations of the public media. This is happening day in and day out because Given is always giving instructions to the public media companies.

We were told that all those journalists who were pro-MMD at Times of Zambia will be fired. But the PF government has failed to fire them and gave instructions to Mr Godfrey Malama to demote them which is a shame.

Those who have been affected are Mr Enock Ngoma who was features editor and has been demoted to become assistant news editor to Mr Chishimba Chishimba who is now the new news editor who was once a reporter when Mr Enock Ngoma was news editor at one time.

Another person who has been affected in the exercise of with-hunt is Mr Charles Simengwa who was news editor but has not been demoted to be production editor which is similar to a position of assistant news editor.

The former assistant news editor Melody Mwala Chansa who was also regarded to be close to the MMD cadres has been taking to a new position which is not in the company hierarchy as assistant features editor in charge of entertainment.

Mr Ben Phiri who was dropped as business editor for incompetence has again been promoted to the same position. Instead of confirming Mr Michael Simbayi who was acting as Sunday Times Editor after Mr Austin Chongo retired Mr Malama has appointed Mr V. Mwansa to become Sunday Times Editor. This man is also not competent to be a full editor.

We don’t know what will now happen to Mr Patrick Phiri who was assistant political editor after they dissolved the section. The political editor Bob Siajalika has been given a post as assistant features editor under Miss Margret Mangani who has now been appointed features editor after many years of being ignored. This appoint is welcome.

The painful thing is that Mr Malama has only made changes to the editorial section when all other sections should be touched in one way or another.

We can assure Mr Malama that his close links to Mr Billy Wamundila to advise him on changes in editorial will make him fail. Mr Wamundila has misled the former Managing director mr John Phiri and he should be careful with this man in his dealings.

We also appeal to Mr Malama to do his work in a professional manner because by targeting some of the people his thinks were not with PF, he is wasting his time.

We are also doubting the value which Mr Malama’s number 2 Mr Nicky Shabolyo has brought to Times Printpak when he failed as a reporter at Zambia Daily Mail and engaged himself in public replations work. He has lost reality in the media sector.

KENNETH Konga is the latest former Cabinet minister in the MMD government to be in police books after being warned and cautioned over a multi-billion Kwacha hotel under construction near Kamwala, a semi-detached flat in Kabulonga and mining equipment in Makeni.

The former Minister of Energy and Water Development in the Rupiah Banda administration is the owner of the plush hotel on plot 30778, Dedan Kimathi Road, near the Inter-City Bus Terminus, a bulldozer G9G parked at a private property on Makeni road, and a semi-detached flat on plot 50E, Sable Road in Kabulonga.

The current selling price of a brand new G9G bulldozer is US$1,000,000 (K5 billion) and the used models are approximately US$425,000 (over K 2.1 billion) exclusive of tax.
Police have seized the properties.

Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela confirmed yesterday that Mr Konga was cautioned in relation to abuse of authority contrary to Section 99 Sub-Section 1 of the laws of Zambia.

And police in North-Western Province have confiscated assorted goods worth millions of Kwacha from Mr Konga’s home in Chavuma.

North-Western police commissioner Eugene Sibote disclosed this to journalists at a press briefing in Solwezi yesterday, saying the goods are suspected to have been unlawfully acquired.
In the Lusaka incident, Ms Kanjela said a combined team of officers will continue with its investigations regarding Mr Konga’s property.

Mr Konga, who is MMD Chavuma member of Parliament, was earlier quizzed by a combined team of law enforcement officers at the former Task Force on Corruption offices in Woodlands Extension in Lusaka.
He was accompanied to the Task Force offices by his lawyer ,Sakwiba Sikota.

When contacted, Mr Konga could neither deny nor confirm the seizure of his properties but referred the query to his lawyer. However, Mr Sikota said his client was being questioned over a Hummer vehicle that was bought for him by Parliament.

“It’s sad that police are pursuing him over a vehicle bought by Parliament and it’s up to you to decide whether it is a witch-hunt or not,” Mr Sikota said before he cut the line.

Meanwhile, Mr Sibote said all the items confiscated from Mr Konga’s Chavuma home are believed to belong to the former minister. “We got information that certain items were hidden in Chavuma and following the reports, our officers went there and conducted a search of certain premises where those goods were hidden,” he said.

Mr Sibote said the officers managed to retrieve 55 sewing machines, 14 boxes containing pieces for tables, 22 boxes containing pieces for stands, eight motor bikes, 80 bicycles and 135 boxes each containing 50 small winding radios.

He said the recovery of items was part of the on-going investigations which the PF government instituted after assuming power in September. “The goods are enroute to Lusaka. That is why we haven’t off-loaded them. I just wanted my officers to rest a bit before proceeding,” he said.

Mr Sibote said some of the items were recovered from Mr Konga’s home while others had been hidden at the premises of a Mr Mukwato, a local businessman. He said Mr Mukwato’s premises were allegedly hired by the former minister.

“The items are in two police trucks and two Land Cruisers which are full to capacity,” Mr Sibote said. He said police officers were dispatched to Chavuma on Friday and got the items on Saturday before returning to Solwezi on Sunday.

The trucks have been parked at Solwezi Central Police Station. A host of former ministers in the Banda administration have now visited security offices to explain their new-found wealth as the new PF government prioritises the corruption fight in a country that is potentially rich but whose wealth rarely trickles down to the masses.

President Sata has vowed to U-turn the mismanagement of the country’s resources, starting by cracking a whip on former leaders alleged to have looted State coffers.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Government is closing in on more high-profile personalities in the ongoing investigations against corruption to eradicate the vice in a more steadfast fashion.

Vice-President, Guy Scott said the Government had remained focused on investigations against former Government officials and other individuals, indicating that more would be “visited” soon.

Investigative wings, he said, would not be distracted despite accusations that the probe was selective and meant to persecute some people.

Dr Scott said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Patriotic Front (PF) had categorically stated before assuming power that it would pursue people who could have stolen or acquired property corruptly.

The vice-president said investigative wings would vigorously follow former officials who served in Government institutions and that the corruption fight was one of the aspects the PF pledged to eradicate without any vengeance.

He said it was folly for some former leaders to cry foul instead of seizing the opportunity to defend themselves.

Investigative wings had continued to collect more valuable leads in the ongoing probe.

The vice-president assured that innocent people would be protected and that those who would be found to have acquired money or property genuinely would be cleared.

He said investigative wings would soon pounce on some more high profile personalities.

Last week, former Finance minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane complained that the PF Government had maliciously targeted to persecute some people under the guise of fighting corruption and that it had failed to meet most of its pledges in 90 days.

Another former Foreign Affairs minister in the MMD government, Kabinga Pande, who is eyeing the top position in the former ruling party, accused the Government of embarking on a “witch-hunt.”

But Dr Scott said statements by the two former ministers were inaccurate and meant to divert the citizens’ attention from the steady progress the Government was making.

Investigative wings have seized about 1,000 bicycles from Dr Musokotwane and other MMD leaders and also impounded trucks from the former ruling party.

Former Mines minister, Maxwell Mwale is already appearing in court over some bicycles bought from funds suspected to have been stolen, and so is former Labour minister, Austin Liato on whose premises more than K2 billion cash was alleged to have been dug out.

Meanwhile, the vice-president said the Government had met most benchmarks in the 90 days it had been in power.

He said his Government had started a comprehensive policy reform on which to implement development programmes aimed at turning around the economy of the country.

He said Zambian workers would start earning higher salaries from April next year when the K2 million exempt tax threshold on pay-as-you-earn takes effect.

Dr Scott said the mineral royalty tax had been revised from three to six per cent, which the MMD government never did when it was in power.

He said Zambians should expect more benefits as the PF Government starts implementing the national Budget, which was approved last week on Friday.

Dr Scott said the Government had allowed the public media to cover all political parties and promote divergent views because it valued a free media and enhanced democracy.

The vice-president said the media was polarised under MMD while corruption was high.

He said Zambians were able to see the landmark achievements such as reduced fuel prices and base lending rates.

[Times of Zambia]

Former minister of energy Kenneth Konga has been summoned by the Zambia police at the former Task Force offices. Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela who confirmed the development to QFM said Mr. Konga was summoned at 15 hours today.

However,Ms. Kanjela could not give the reasons why the former minister in the MMD government has been summoned saying she was on her way to the former Task Force offices were Konga was being questioned by broadcast time.

And Inspector general of Police Martin Malama has pledged to ensure that Zambia is free from corruption. Dr. Malama says that he would like to see a public and private sector that is devoid of corruption.

He said that corruption has continued to affect Zambia’s development efforts stating that there is need to ensure that the country fights hard.

He has however stated that the fight against corruption should not be left to the police alone, but the responsibility of all Zambians.

He said that every Zambian should ensure that efforts are taken to fight the high levels of corruption.

Speaking last evening on MUVI TVs the assignment programme, Dr. Malama expressed happiness that the police are on the right cause in fighting corruption.

He has stated that the Zambia Police will ensure that no one is protected in the quest to fight corruption.

QFM