THE Zambia Union of Journalists has appealed to the Chinese Government through its embassy in Lusaka to commute the death sentence of Mary Musiyalike, a Zambian woman convicted for drug trafficking.

Ms Musiyalike, 38, a business executive of Lusaka was arrested with 2.5 kilogrammes of heroin at Putong International Airport in Shanghai on December 14 last year and sentenced to death by firing squad after she was convicted of drug trafficking by a court in China.

ZUJ president Morgan Chonya said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that Zambia and China had enjoyed very warm and cordial relations over the years.

“We appeal to the Republic of China Government to commute the death sentence of Ms Mary Masiyalike. The two countries have long bonds of friendship that should count for something.

“We therefore call on our comrades to revisit the verdict,” Mr Chonya said.
He said ZUJ was dismayed by the statement that the Zambian convict would be put to death through a firing squad at a date known by the prison authorities.

Mr Chonya said the statement was traumatising to the victim’s family and the Zambians at large.

He said it was the responsibility of the Government to ensure that every Zambian abroad received fair trial and felt safe as well as protected whether they were convicts or not.

He called upon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the victim was extradited and served her term here in Zambia.

[Times of Zambia]

The Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD)leadership in Mwinilunga district has refuted media allegations leveled against Mwinilunga West MMD area Member of parliament Elijah Muchima of manipulating constituency elections.

Mr. Muchima who is also Deputy Information and Broadcasting Services Minister was accused in one of the daily tabloids of manipulating party elections by ferrying part officials from rural places to contest the district elections in the Boma.

This was contained in a press statement issued by MMD district secretary Jackson Chilengi and co-signed by Mwinilunga west chairman Edwin Sawomba, Mwinilunga west secretary Goodson Kapaku and MMD district treasure, while others included MMD district youth chairperson Daniel Manjomba.

The press statement stated that Mr. Muchima came to the aid of the party by contributing transport to ferry party officials in the quest to facilitate constituency elections.

The statement further stated that the party in the district had no means or capacity to carry out the constituency elections on its own hence it welcomed members of the party who wanted to contribute toward the successful holding of the constituency elections.

The MMD leadership wondered why Rodwell Chinyama issued defamatory remakes against the area member of parliament when Mr. chinyama was not an MMD party member or official.

Mr. Chilengi said through the press statement that the allegation leveled against Mr. Muchima were untrue and baseless.

The MMD Party has since appealed to Mr. Muchima dismiss the allegations labeled against him with the most contempt it deserves.

Mr. Chilengi said the remarks issued in the daily papers by Mr. Chinyama were aimed at destroying the image of the MMD party as well as tarnishing the name of Mwinilunga West area member of Parliament.

The statement read that Mr. Chinyama was not the district or party spokesperson to issue comments concerning the party matters as he belongs to The People’s Congress.

ZANIS

FORMER Communications and Transport minister, William Harrington has applied for an order to quash the Dennis Chirwa tribunal findings clearing Dora Siliya of any wrongdoing in the RP Capital Partners deal.

In a counter claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Harrington said the decision of the tribunal to clear Ms Siliya of allegations under the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act was illegal and unreasonable.

Mr Harrington has been joined as intervenor to an application for judicial review where Ms Siliya (also former minister of Communication) is challenging a tribunal finding that she breached the Constitution.

The tribunal investigating allegations raised by Mr Harrington and a consortium of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) cleared Ms Siliya but found that she had breached the Constitution for ignoring the Attorney General’s advice when awarding a contract to RP Capital Partners of Cayman Island to valuate Zambia Telecommunications Company assets.

In seeking an order of certiorari, Mr Harrington said the decision of the tribunal was contrary to the proper interpretation of Section 4 (a) of the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct.

Mr Harrington argued that the decision was against the weight of the evidence and the tribunal’s finding of fact that RP Capital Partners went to the ministry through Ms Siliya.

He further states that Ms Siliya helped RP Capital Partners in securing the contract and that through her conduct, the firm would now directly earn a base fee of $2 million.

Mr Harrington is represented by Ellis and Company, Permanent Chambers and Kabimba and Company.
Lusaka High Court Judge Justice Phillip Musonda gave the parties up to June 8, this year to file their submissions.

[Times of Zambia]

distanced itself from former Ministry of Health Human Resource Director, Henry Kapoko.

Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani, who was MMD elections national coordinator in the October 31 presidential by-election, says the MMD and its candidate President Rupiah Banda did not, at any time, deal with Mr. Kapoko.

Mr. Mangani told journalists during a media briefing in Lusaka today that to the contrary, preliminary investigations by the party have revealed that it was instead the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) that allegedly had dealings with Mr Kapoko.

He said the MMD has overwhelming evidence, that include invoices, indicating the PF had accommodated its cadres and other party officials at the infamous Best Home Lodge where it accrued a bill of K11.6 million for beverages.

He further said PF Deputy Secretary General Dr Chileshe Mulenga and Kapoko’s uncle, Robert Kalimi, facilitated the writing off of K8.7 million accrued on accommodation by cadres and party officials.

Mr. Mangani charged that PF leader Michael Sata was allegedly given vehicles by Kapoko’s Uncle, Mr. Kalimi which were used during the campaigns.

He further challenged the PF to tell the nation who paid for the printing of its posters and who hired the plane that ferried Mr. Sata and his campaign team during the by elections.

Mr. Mangani has since challenged the PF and its leadership to explain its dealings with Mr. Kapoko.

He was reacting to media reports that the MMD accommodated its officials and image builders at the now infamous Best Home Lodge, the lodge run by former Ministry of Health Human Resource Director, Henry Kapoko, who has since been formally arrested and charged in connection with the ongoing investigations in the K27 billion scam at the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mangani has clarified that Rupiah Banda’s image builders were not hired by the MMD as a party but were organized by the President’s family members.

ZANIS

of Health Human Resource Manager Henry Kapoko with theft by public servant.

Police spokesperson Bonny Kapeso confirmed the development to ZNBC news in Lusaka.

Mr. Kapeso said Mr. Kapoko has been charged in relation to the on going investigations involving the K10 billion ministry of health corruption scam.

He said Mr. Kapoko is detained in police custody.

And Police Tuesday sealed off a private nursing school in Lusaka as part of the on going investigations into the K10 billion allegedly stolen at the ministry of health.

Mr. Kapeso confirmed in an interview that ESU nursing college situated in Roma residential area was raided between 15:00 and 16:00 hours.

Mr. Kapeso said police were conducting verifications and investigations because the nursing school has been linked to a director at the ministry of health.

Investigations into the 27 billion kwacha financial scandal at the ministry of health has continued with 32 officers sent on leave so far.

[ZNBC]

MMD chairman for elections, Mike Mulongoti has challenged opposition Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata, to produce evidence of how President Banda and the MMD allegedly used funds from the Ministry of Health to campaign in the 2008 elections.

Mr Mulongoti said President Banda and his campaign team never used money from the Ministry of Health as alleged by Mr Sata.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that if Mr Sata has evidence on the matter, he should present it to the relevant law enforcement agencies that are carrying out investigations at the Ministry of Health.

“I was in charge of President Banda’s campaigns during the 2008 elections and I can tell you we never used money from the Ministry of Health as alleged by Mr Sata and if he has proof, let him present it to the relevant investigative wings so that they can prove whether or not the MMD got money from the ministry,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti wondered why Mr Sata did not present the matter as one of his reasons for petitioning the MMD in the Presidential elections.

He said if Mr Sata has evidence that the MMD used money from the ministry for campaigns, he should have revealed that before the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) unearthed the K10 billion scam.

“He challenged the election results in the last Presidential elections and so I wonder why in his petition, he did not include this matter as one of his submissions that my party used money from the Ministry of Health.

“If he knew that the MMD got money from this ministry, why has he been quiet?” he said.
Mr Mulongoti said as an opposition political party leader, Mr Sata should be truthful in his statements.[quote]

He said opposition political parties and the citizenry in general should allow the investigating wings to complete their work at the Ministry of Health without disruptions.

Mr Mulongoti said Zambians should desist from making statements that are likely to alarm the nation and disrupt the investigations.

He challenged Mr Sata to call for a commission of inquiry beginning from 1991 so that all those who have stolen money from Government can be revealed.

“The nation should allow the security wings to do their job without disturbances. If people have evidence, let them present it to the officers as opposed to alarming the nation by making statements anyhow.

“We should allow the law enforcement agencies to prove who the perpetrators of the scam are and not point fingers at one another,” he said.

Mr Sata is quoted in The Post newspaper as saying President Banda used funds from the Ministry of Health for the Presidential election campaigns last year.

[Zambia Daily Mail]