External forces funded Dr Chiluba’s persecution

By NATION REPORTER IT IS common knowledge that former second Republican President Fredrick Chiluba’s unsuccessful persecution was done under the guise of fighting corruption funded by external forces, Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Davies Mwila has said. Mr Mwila said the benefit of the so-called corruption crusade was limited to persons who accumulated allowances even when they had no prosecutable cases. He said investigative wings must be given independence in their operations if they were to thoroughly investigate cases and desist from inducing external pressure.

fiAs a party, we believe our country™s investigative and law enforcement wings must be allowed to independently conduct their operations without any external influence and pressure associated with the previous cases where people like late President Dr FTJ Chiluba was made to undergo public humiliation using the courts of public opinion only to be acquitted of any wrongdoing by our courts.

fiIt is also common knowledge that Dr Chiluba™s unsuccessful persecution was done under the guise of fighting corruption funded by external forces and its benefit was limited to persons who accumulated allowances even when they had no prosecutable cases,” Mr Mwila said.

And Mr Mwila has said it is encouraging to see high-profile meetings involving Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) director-general, Mary Tshuma, President Edgar Lungu and heads of some European Union (EU) countries. Mr Mwila said the party was encouraged with such meetings and appealed for the support towards the FIC as it was a creation of government.

fiAs stated by President Lungu, the Patriotic Front administration firmly believe in the autonomy of all institutions and encourages these institutions to work in close collaboration in the fight against corruption and protecting our meagre resources. “We reaffirm once again that the FIC is a creation of government that requires all our support when it works within the law that creates it. We thus reiterate the need for FIC to continue doing its job for which it was created by disseminating reports to law enforcement agencies that are mandated and have the capacity to follow up and conduct thorough investigations,” Mr. Mwila said.

He said the PF believed that corruption could only be fought successfully when the country strengthened relevant institutions of governance coupled by political will, adding that the scourge could not be won by tough talk and mere rhetoric.

fiWe thus encourage our law enforcement agencies to pursue their investigations bearing in mind that this fight we waging against corruption is home-grown and meant to guard our resources but must never be instigated based on witchhunt or out of appeasement for those who seek to move regime change.