Spokesperson for opposition UPND, Charles Kakoma has charged the revealations of corruption involving President Edgar Lungu’s staff is denting State House image.
In a statement to Zambian Eye Thursday morning, Kakoma who is also a former Member of Parliament said his party was appalled at the current revelations of corruption by senior staff of President Edgar Lungu at State House and other government ministries.
“In particular, we are concerned about allegations of corruption against Deputy Minister at State Hose Mulenga Sata, Special Assistant to the President Kaizer Zulu, Permanent Secretary Chilubanama, as well as the Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda and his son, Bweembya. These senior officials are facing serious allegations of corruption which are denting the image of State House,” says Kakoma.
Below is his press statement in full:
Press Statement
23rd April 2015
We are appalled at the current revelations of corruption by senior staff of President Edgar Lungu at State House and other government ministries. In particular, we are concerned about allegations of corruption against Deputy Minister at State Hose Mulenga Sata, Special Assistant to the President Kaizer Zulu, Permanent Secretary Chilubanama, as well as the Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda and his son, Bweembya. These senior officials are facing serious allegations of corruption which are denting the image of State House. Corruption allegations at these high offices only breed further contempt of the office of the President if no action is taken. We have seen so often that despite these allegations being made, very few cases end up before the courts of law.
Secondly, we wonder why the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) are not pouncing on individuals who obtain great wealth in a short period of time and are unable to account as to how they accumulated such money. The ACC Act is very clear. Anybody who accumulates wealth which is disproportionate to his/her past and present levels of official income should be investigated for corruption. A case in point is Mulenga Sata who, as everyone in Lusaka knows, lived a simple life in a small rented accommodation on Roan Road, Kabulonga, in Lusaka. Within a few years, after his father became President, he now owns a mansion which he bought from Mr. Guy Phiri in the posh area of Sunningdale, on Nyimba Road, Lusaka. He also has several expensive vehicles. Could he have possibly acquired these properties from his income as a councilor at Lusaka City Council? How is that possible? Is ZRA not interested to know? Is ACC not interested to know how he accumulated this wealth? If ZRA and ACC are not interested to know, we in the UPND and the general public are very much interested.
President Lungu must also make it clear as to what is going on with the contract for the new airport terminal at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA). Where did the Zambian Government’s counter-part funding for the project go? This project is riddled with high level corruption. The high levels of corruption have turned State House into a den of thieves.
What is now important is for President Lungu to ask these senior public office holders to resign immediately and for him to publicly call for investigations by the ACC and ZRA. As UPND, we demand action on corruption by President Lungu. His silence on corruption is worrying and breeding more corruption in government.
CHARLES KAKOMA
Chairman for Information and Publicity and Party Spokesperson,
UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND)