VICE-President George Kunda has said that President Banda will not suspend Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya pending investigations of the tribunal into allegations leveled against her as no law warranted such an action.

And former Minister of Communications and Transport, William Harrington has asked President Banda to suspend Ms Siliya to facilitate investigations into allegations of abuse of authority and corruption.
At media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Kunda said the President would only act upon the report of the tribunal.

“There is no law or precedent which compels the Minister in question to go on leave or her suspension pending the conclusion of such an inquiry,”
Mr Kunda said.

He said that the tribunal to be set up by the Acting Chief Justice Ireen Mambimilima would conduct an inquiry not a criminal trial as Ms Siliya has not been charged with a criminal offence.

The Vice-President said there had been two of such tribunals set up to investigate ministers and it was on record that these ministers never went on leave nor were they suspended.

He said at the end of it’s work, the tribunal may make recommendations to the President in accordance with Section 14 of the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act Cap 16 as regards to actions, criminal prosecution or other further actions as it thinks fit.

“The President will only act upon the report of the tribunal after it is rendered. This is the position of the appointing authority,” Mr Kunda said.

He said it was Government’s understanding that the tribunal to be set up was as good as a commission of inquiry under the Inquiries Act, Chapter 41, from which the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act borrows some of its provisions in Section 15 (10).

And in a letter to President Banda, Mr Harrington commended him for the support he has rendered to the decision by Justice Mambilima to appoint a tribunal to probe Ms Siliya.

He said President Banda’s directive to the Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei to fund the tribunal that would be set up under the Ministerial and Parliamentary Code of Conduct was testimony of his personal commitment to fight corruption at all levels.
Mr Harrington however asked the President to suspend Ms Siliya from official duties in order to allow for a free and fair investigation against her.

Ms Siliya is alleged to have awarded contracts for evaluating Zamtel’s assests and supply of a radar system at the Lusaka and Livingstone International Airports.

“I am requesting you to consider exercising your prerogative as provided in the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia to suspend, in public interest, Ms Siliya from her official duties pending the outcome of the tribunal,” Mr Harrington said in a letter to President Banda.

He said that this was necessary and expedient to allow for a free, fair, transparent and unhindered investigative process by the tribunal.

Mr Harrington said thorough investigations may not be conducted if Ms Siliya was allowed to continue discharging her duties as officials at her ministry and outside may wish to testify or could be summoned by the tribunal.

He said such persons and witnesses may naturally feel inhibited to do so if Ms Siliya continued heading the ministry.

President Banda has welcomed Justice Mambilima’s decision to create a tribunal to probe the Minister and hopes that all those that were involved in this debate would allow the tribunal to do its work in a professional manner.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Government has dismissed media reports suggesting that government is plotting to arrest private Post Newspapers proprietor, Fred M’membe, and defunct Zambian Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mutembo Nchito, for alleged theft by agent.

Chief Government Spokesperson and Information Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, described as untruthful the claim by the Post Newspaper edition of February 20, 2008 that government is planning to nab the duo for the inability by the defunct Zambian Airways to meet its financial abligations with National Airports Corporation.

Leutenant General Shikapwasha, however, indicated that investigative agencies of government are probing Zamban Airways as a follow-up observation made by Members of Parliament concerning the financial relationship between Zambian Airways and National Airports Corporation and other institutions.

“I want to state that whereas it is true that investigative agencies of government are probing Zambian Airways as a folow-up to observations made by members of Parliament concerning the financial relationship between Zambian airways and NAC and other institutions, there is absolute no truth in the claim President Banda or government is plotting to silence the two over the matter or indeed on any other matter,” Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha said.

Gen. Shikapwasha told ZANIS in a Statement that the investigative agencies were simply performing their normal operations, as they have done in many other cases involving other institutions in the past.

He explained that the agencies had competent professionals that have their own jurisdiction to decide on the course of action to take on cases upon completion of investigations.

He appealed for maximum cooperation to be given to investigative agencies to enable them complete investigations expeditiously.

“What the investigative agencies are doing is one of their normal activities  as agencies have done in many other cases in the past. As in any matter investigated by those agencies, the principle of innocence until proven guilty is observed to the letter. There is no need to panic over mere investigations,” he said

He said there is no need to panic for people involved in the Zambian Airways financial credit scam because the principle of innocence until proven guilty is observed.

ZANIS/KC/ENDS/SJK

President Rupiah Banda has welcomed the setting up of a tribunal by Acting Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima to probe allegations leveled against Transport and Communications Minister Dora Siliya.

State House Chief Analyst for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere confirmed this in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Banda hoped that all those involved in the ongoing debate would allow the tribunal established under the Ministerial and Parliamentary code of conduct to conduct its work in a professional manner.

He said he has since written to the Acting Chief Justice informing her that he had instructed the Secretary to the Treasury to make financial provisions for the tribunal’s operations.

“I wish to say that I am happy that the tribunal has been constituted and I am confident that justice will prevail,” President Banda said.

The President has also since appealed to all Zambians to refrain from making comments, which could be prejudicial on the matter as it is now before a competent tribunal.

He said the nation should wait for the final verdict of the tribunal after conducting its proceedings.

ZANIS/AJN/AM/ENDS