As Zambia’s former president Rupiah Banda is being questioned for a second day regarding corruption allegations, his former minister of communications and transport Dora Siliya has said that they are being persecuted by the Zambian government.
Siliya who herself has already been questioned over her role in the sale of the company, said yesterday after Rupiah Banda’s first day of questioning that the Zambian government was merely persecuting them.
Siliya accompanied Banda for questioning.
“This is nothing less than persecution by the Zambian government,” Siliya said.
Banda was questioned for over three hours by a joint investigations team over corruption allegations when he was president from 2008 to 2011. During his tenure of office, he sold the Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) to Lap Green Networks of Libya for $257 million.
Banda said then that the selling of the company was meant to save it from closure, after the Zambian government failed to recapitalise it.
The current Zambian government has since reversed the sale of the company claiming the selling process was marred by corruption because procedure was not followed.
The joint investigations team failed to conclude the questioning of Banda yesterday and said the questioning would continue today.
“As you know, we are going to court and I expect a prolonged case. But we have a duty and responsibility to keep the country together and peacefully even under provocation,” Banda said.
Electronic voting was used last week Friday to remove Banda’s immunity from prosecution by lawmakers. This was after the country’s minister of justice presented a motion in parliament seeking the removal of Banda’s immunity to make him ‘accountable’ for the offences he committed when he was president.
Kabimba said the former head of state allegedly committed offences ranging from abusive of authority of office, corrupt acquisition of public property, misappropriation of money and revenue, corruption and money laundering.
Share