KALULUSHI Mayor Howard Simpemba has expressed disappointment at the alleged failure by the police to effectively handle the case involving a 67-year-old white man accused of drugging and pushing young girls into bestiality.

But acting Copperbelt police Chief Milner Muyambango has said the police had little evidence to give them sufficient grounds to build their case again Evert Wolf.

Mr Simpemba said at a press briefing in his office in Kalulushi that he was disappointed with the manner the police had conducted themselves over the matter.

“Personally I am not happy with the police because even in the case where there is no evidence they should show interest which they are not doing,” Mr Simpemba said.

The mayor said there was overwhelming evidence against the man, which his office had come up with.

Mr Simpemba said so far his office, together with other stakeholders, had spoken with three girls who alleged to be victims of bestiality and that they had all admitted to having fallen prey to Mr Wolf.

He said his office and other stakeholders in the community had resolved to take the matter to its conclusive and logical end.

“The police even know where this white man is including the girl who was luring her colleagues into this vice,” he said.

But Mr Muyambango said the community had not been helpful enough in the case because nobody had come forward with tangible evidence to help police build a strong case.

He said all the police had, were mere allegations which could not be used as evidence in court.

“Even the girl who was mentioned as key witness in this case has totally refused, so you can see how complex this issue is,” he said.

Mr Muyambango, however, said police were still investigating the matter and appealed for calm among members of the public.

[Times of Zambia]

EMBATLED former Minister of Transport and Communications Dora Siliya yesterday appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into the sale of Zamtel and Finance Bank but opted not to say anything on all allegations levelled against her during the submissions.

Ms Siliya, 41, of 411 Independence Avenue and clad in a red suit arrived at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in the company of her lawyer Sakwiba Sikota and informed the tribunal led by Commission chairperson, Sebastian Zulu that there were no irregularity in the sale of Zamtel.

Ms Siliya who spoke through her lawyer said she would not commit herself to any statement because the said allegations especially by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) would be subjudice.

“ Everything she has to say is already on record so there is nothing more to add except to refer this commission to all the court proceedings.

“Since these allegations by TIZ persist notwithstanding the fact that courts of competent jurisdiction have adjudicated over the same, our client will not commit herself to any statement as these matters are subjudice,” said Mr Sikota.

He said Ms Siliya appeared before the tribunal where the same allegations by TIZ were tested after considering together with the evidence and made its findings which were contained in a detailed report submitted to the former Republican Rupiah Banda on April 16 in 2009.

Mr Sikota said her client had elected to refer the commission to visit the records of all the aforesaid matters which were public documents and were available at the courts, Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Ministry of Justice.

He said after Ms Siliya was cleared by the High Court, TIZ appealed to the Supreme Court addressing the same allegations and in turn the Supreme Court also cleared his client and wondered why TIZ decided to raise the same allegations.

A Mr Francis Chilumba who referred to himself a ‘Patriotic Zambian’ claimed Ms Siliya had been mislead by her lawyer not to personally defend herself because she was the one who signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RP Capital to evaluate the sale of Zamtel.

Mr Chilumba claimed that Ms Siliya allowed the under evaluation of Zamtel which was supposed to be sold at over US$1 billion and not the actual price which was US$257 and urged the commission to ensure that they see RP Capital evaluation report before coming up with a final report.

And the commission earlier advised Ms Siliya not to feel intimidated to represent herself because the commission was set to get more information on the sale of Zamtel and not for people to feel as if they were being tried in the court of law but to allow them to defend themselves once mentioned.

The opposition United Party for National Development(UPND) says it is ready for fresh elections should President Michael Sata dissolve Parliament. The President has threatened to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections if the opposition parties in parliament continue to frustrate government business in the House.

President Sata was referring to the decision by opposition MPs to vote against the motion moved by Finance and National Planning Minister Alexander Chikwanda last Tuesday on the formation of the Public Accounts Committee for the first session of the eleventh National Assembly.

Both UPND vice President Richard Kapita and the party’s deputy whip Likando Mufalali says the UPND welcomes President Sata’s statement and wished he could go ahead and dissolve Parliament.

Mr Kapita has however cautioned that such statements can scare away investors. Mr Kapita has however reiterated that the UPND will continue providing checks and balances to the government.

The duo was speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Friday where MMD member Paul Moonga defected to join the UPND.

And Mr Moonga says he has decided to join the UPND because the MMD has no President.

[ZNBC]

Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Matibini has told parliament that President Michael Sata acted on the provisions of the law by stating that he will dissolve parliament if the opposition continue to frustrate his government efforts in parliament.

Dr. Matibini stated that article 88 part C of the constitution gives power to the President to dissolve parliament at any time.

He, however, stated that the National Assembly Powers and Privilege Act chapter 2 section 3 also gives powers to the Members of Parliament (MP) to have freedom in the house.

Dr. Matibini was making a ruling to a point of order raised by Malambo MMD MP, Maxwell Mwale, who wanted clarification on whether President Michael Sata was in order to threaten to dissolve parliament when the constitution provided for separation of power among the judiciary, executive and the legislature.

Mr. Mwale who is also former Minister of Mines in the Rupiah Banda administration said MPs were practicing their privileges and freedom of expression in parliament.

And the Speaker said the MPs enjoy freedom of speech in parliament which can never be questioned by anyone including the courts.

“Members of Parliament enjoy freedom of speech which, however, cannot be questioned by anyone including the courts of law,” he said.

President Michael Sata yesterday threatened to dissolve parliament if the opposition continued to shoot down government bills and motions the government is tabling in the house.

This follows the decision by opposition MPs to vote against a motion which was tabled in parliament by Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda for the constitution of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee for the first session of the eleventh national assembly.

[ZANIS]

President Michael says he has no apologies to make to Dr Nicolae Buzaianu over the gold scam.

The President says he found Dr Buzaianu’s demands unfortunate.

This is contained in a Press statement released by George Chellah, Special Assistant to the President on Press and Public relations

“Dr Buzaianu’s demand for an apology and compensation is completely groundless and is utterly unacceptable for Zambia,” says the President.

President Sata says Dr Buzaianu was at liberty to exhaust all legal avenues available to him.

“Infact, we need Dr Buzaianu to come to Zambia and help with investigations. More details that require his clarifcation are coming out hence the need to have him in person,”says the President.

On October 15, 2011, the President revoked the appointment of Dr Buzaianu as Zambia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris, France.

This was after the President disclosed to the nation that Dr Buzaianu, an individual who is on the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) watch-list in connection with the gold scam, flew into the country from Geneva, Switzerland aboard a private jet.

Whilst in the country, Dr Buzaianu met former president Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, his son Mr James Banda and former State House press aide Mr Dickson Jere.

Earlier this week Mr.Buzaianu,as distanced himself from what is slowly turning into an increasingly embarrassing ‘Gold-gate’ scandal.

The Swiss national has hired Lusaka lawyer Sakwiba Sikota to defend him in the scandal that has already sucked in former President Rupiah Banda, his son James and a former press assistant at State House, Dickson Jere.

Bozaianu, 42, a self-proclaimed philanthropist, confirmed in correspondence obtained by the Zambia Daily Mail from his lawyer that the gold was bought not by himself, but by some two South African companies he named as Societies Financiere du Seujet SA and Valsior SA.

Mr Bozaianu wants Mr Sikota of Central Chambers to compel, legally, the Zambian government to pay him US$1 million for “injuring” his reputation.

PARLIAMENT heard that a tribunal should have been established to recommend to the president on whether former Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director-general Patrick Kayukwa should be dismissed or not.

Issuing his maiden speech and commenting on the president’s address to the House, Monze Member of Parliament (MP) Jack Mwiimbu (UPND) said it was saddening that President Michael Sata had continued to disregard the law on some key decisions he was making.

“Within one month, violations of the law have been done by the Patriotic Front. For instance, the removal of the ACC director-general which was incorrect, inconsistent and against the law. “A tribunal should have been set up to recommend to the president,” Mr Mwiimbu said.

He told the House that it was sad that the president had nominated 10 MPs to the House when such was not supposed to be the case, and that he also had earlier abolished the position of secretary to the Treasury without following the law. “It is your duty therefore as ministers to give correct advice to the President and I am appealing to you to be doing so,” Mr Mwiimbu said, in reference to ministers in the House.

Mr Mwiimbu also told the House that UPND would hold the PF Government accountable to the many promises the president made during election campaigns such as the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement, and delivering a sound Constitution within 90 days.

He denounced sentiments against the perceived alliance between UPND and the MMD, saying his party would also enter into such pacts with the ruling party on issues affecting the Zambian people.

“I want to state categorically that the PF is envious of the perceived alliance but I can assure them that we shall too have an alliance with them on the increase of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to K5 billion; we shall have an alliance with them on the issue a good Constitution being given to our people and many other issues affecting our people,” Mr Mwiimbu said.

Solwezi East MP Richard Taima (MMD) also cautioned the president against making policy pronouncements that could be detrimental to the governance of the country, such as the release of prisoners that were jailed for poaching offences.

Mr Taima alleged that because of the pronouncement that people should not be jailed at the expense of killing animals, some residents in Mpika were now harassing Zambia Wildlife Authority officers.

He also called for the increment of CDF to K5 billion, saying the MMD government had led the way by raising the fund from the initial K30 million to the current K720 million
[Times of Zambia]