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Arrest of Banda ‘politically motivated’, says international lawyer

Arrest of Banda ‘politically motivated’, says international lawyer
By Michael Malakata, ITWeb’s Zambian correspondent.
26 Mar 2013

Zambia ex-president Rupiah Banda’s lawyer has described the arrest of the former leader as a “desperate” and "politically motivated” move.

Banda’s immunity from prosecution was lifted by lawmakers via an electronic vote just over a week ago. The move came as corruption allegations leveled against Banda by the government intensified.

And yesterday, Zambia arrested Banda and charged him with corruption over a Nigerian oil deal. Banda is expected to appear in court today over accusations that he misappropriated $11 million during his term in office from 2008 to 2011.

Banda was defeated in 2011 by President Michael Sata, whose Patriotic Front (PF) led government has since launched several high profiled corruption probes into deals struck by the former administration.

But Banda’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, has said that an orchestrated campaign has been waged against Banda.

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Amsterdam has said that this campaign kicked into gear on February 14 this year when the director general of the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) allegedly told state media of plans to strip the former president of his immunity.

Amsterdam has further accused the government of attacking opposition parties while Sata’s administration stands accused of corruption itself.

President Michael Sata is said to have ordered the ACC to clear his two PF senior ministers Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) and Winter Kabimba of graft charges without the two men even being questioned.

Allegations of corruption against Sata and his ministers relate to a Trafigura oil contract deal.

“Given this government’s exceedingly poor record on anti-corruption issues among its sitting ministers, the international community shall not take such accusations at face value,” Amsterdam said.

He said people cannot presume any sort of regularity to the proceeding when the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party has ‘repeatedly violated the law in their attack on democratic oppositions’.

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