Infrastructure and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi has dismissed corruption allegations against him by Lumezi Independent member of Parliament Munir Zulu.
Milupi has charged that he will not be disrupted by what he called Lumpens in discharging his duties.
The Minister was reacting to Zulu’s allegations that he and his Finance and National Planning counterpart received $150, 000 each through bank transfer from a named company.
Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has equally dismissed the allegations and also promised to drag Zulu to Court.
But Zulu says he is waiting for summons to appear before court to prove his allegations.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has also denied investigating the duo but says they are open to receive information from Zulu.
Zulu made an allegation on Monday yesterday at a media briefing where he was franked by PF Chilubi member of Parliament in his capacity as member of a grouping of Parliamentarians in Africa that stands for graft fight called African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC).
Below is the full statement by Milupi availed to Zambian Eye:
POLITICAL LUMPENS WILL NOT DISTRACT US FROM THE NEW DAWN GOVT’S WELL-THOUGHT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
I have seen a video from a press conference, in which Lumezi Independent member of parliament, Hon. Munir Zulu, in the company of Chilubi PF member of parliament, Hon. Mulenga Fube, is making very serious falsehoods against my person, bordering on corruption relating to the execution of my ministerial duties.
Hon. Zulu has made three allegations against me and these being that :
1. In my capacity as Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, I received a bank transfer of US$250,000.00 from a company he has not mentioned;
2. I am appearing at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for the past two weeks and;
3. The Road Development Agency board of directors chairperson, again by bank transfer, gave me US$150,000.00 two days before his appointment.
I must categorically state that these are false and baseless allegations.
From a collective point of view, the New Dawn administration will continue on its agenda to upgrade our core road network using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of financing. No amount of political slander will distract us from this objective, which we are now collectively actualizing in a highly transparent and accountable manner.
Therefore, for peddling politically-inspired falsehoods against me, and by further directing a personal attack at me using the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC) as a guise, Mr Munir Zulu will have to prove all those allegations against me in the courts of law. You will be updated as usual.
For this reason, I am putting up a team of lawyers so that the people who have raised these allegations can answer in the courts of law.
Let me also state here that I am not above reproach as Charles Milupi. If I have committed any wrongdoing in the execution of my public mandate, I am ready and should be liable to face the consequences.
And Dr Musokotwane in a statement seen by Zambian Eye also denied allegations by Munir Zulu.
Below is the full statement:
WE ARE ABOVE BOARD AND WILL REMAIN TRANSPARENT
Allegations levelled against me by Mr. MUNIR ZULU in a video widely circulated on various communication and information platforms, have been brought to my attention. Mr. MUNIR ZULU, a Member of Parliament for Lumezi Constituency has stated in the circulating video that he was speaking as a member of the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC).
Mr. MUNIR ZULU alleges that I and my counterpart from infrastructure have secretly been appearing before the Anti-Corruption-Commission, from who he has demanded an update on the matter.
He also asserts that I have received pecuniary benefit through a bank transfer from a source he has not named. I take great exception to this but assure the nation again that I have not received any such payment either through bank accounts connected to me, directly in cash or in any other illegitimate manner.
I also assure the nation that I have NOT been summoned, NOT been interviewed as a suspect, and NOT been questioned by the Anti-Corruption-Commission or any law enforcement agency in any corruption case. I will seek appropriate statutory remedies for the injury caused to my character by Mr. MUNIR ZULU.
As Minister of Finance and National Planning, I am a public official running a public office. In the course of my duties, my office remains accessible to various stakeholders both within the public sector and outside. It is important to note that law enforcement agencies, in the course of their duties, are free to invite any public official or otherwise to assist with information in an ongoing or planned investigation.
They should not be deterred from doing that if it helps in establishing facts in a matter that they are pursuing.
I take this opportunity to assure the public and stakeholders that in the course of implementing our economic transformation programme and helping to better the lives of Zambians, the Government will remain committed to transparency, accountability and the rule of law, now and in future. We have noted with concern, some schemes aimed at deterring us from focussing on sustaining the progress made in repairing the economy, bettering the lives of our citizens, and improving the country’s standing in the international community and strengthening cooperation with all stakeholders, local and foreign. We are on high alert and we will not be derailed.
Issued by:
Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP