MILUPI Says “RB’s Immunity Must Be LIFTED. CORRUPT Actions Were 
Committed Under His DIRECTIVE and CHARGE”

OPPOSITION ALLIANCE for Democracy and Development (ADD) president, Charles Milupi 
has said Parliament should help the executive in the fight against
corruption by lifting the immunity on former president 
Rupiah Banda as it is becoming clear that most corrupt actions were 
committed under his directive and charge.


The opposition leader said in Lusaka in an interview Monday 1/2 that 
President Michael Sata’s fight against corruption would be meaningless
if the former president was not made to account for his actions while
in office.


“The former president must be brought to book because the current
 president has done his part so far. We need all the three arms of
Government to play their part in this fight, those in Parliament 
should reflect and ensure that Mr Banda’s immunity is lifted.
”Let’s not distort the intentions of the presidential immunity.


Presidential immunity is supposed to protect a former head of State
for the genuine actions taken while in office. Presidential immunity
is not about protecting actions done in personal, individual, selfish
family interests,” he said.


Mr Milupi said former president Banda should be made to account for
all the corruption that was taking place under his administration.


He said from the information and investigations so far, it was clear
that those who were being investigated were working under the
directive or charge of the former president.


“Most of the things that are being investigated were done under his 
directive, it was under president Banda’s reign that they repealed the
Anti-Corruption Act, and removed the abuse of office clause, it was
under the same administration that the Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP) was directed to withdraw corruption cases from courts,” he said.


He has since called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to seriously 
reflect and lift the immunity of president Banda so that he could 
clear himself of all the allegations that have been leveled against 
him.


“In fact I get worried when I hear some opposition political parties
 say that they will defend the former president in the House. The
 purpose of lifting the former president’s immunity is to ensure that 
the cases against him are taken to court and if there is no evidence
then he is cleared,” he said.


He said it was pointless for the Government to investigate some of the 
former ministers who were clearly under instructions from the former
president.


Investigative agencies are investigating corrupt activities under the 
Rupiah Banda administration and so far several Cabinet ministers, who 
served under the former administration, are being probed with most 
investigations pointing to the former first family.


Among some cases under investigation include, the alleged irregular
sale of gold to a Swis business executive Nicola Bogdan Buzaianu, and the
alleged irregular sale of the parastatal Zamtel.


Meanwhile, Mr Milupi has expressed concern over the manner in which the
 Government was fighting corruption.


He accused the Government of selectively prosecuting some former
leaders from North-Western, Western and Eastern provinces.


“Does it mean that other people from other provinces were not involved
in this corruption? The Government should not be seen to be targeting 
certain regions,” he said.

Posted by Editor on January 3, 2012. Filed under LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry