Zambia: PF officials arrested recently should prove their innocence in the courts of law-Copperbelt Province Minister

Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo has challenged former Patriotic Front (PF) Government officials arrested recently by the law enforcement agencies to prove their innocence in the courts of law.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji, former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo, former Water Development Minister Raphael Nakacinda and former Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Fredson Yamba are some of the former PF officials recently arrested.

Mr. Malanji is charged with Dr. Yamba on charges of willful failure to comply with the law when they transferred over K154.2 million to the Zambian mission in Turkey without following the law on supplementary expenditure as provided by article 203 of the Zambian constitution.

Police have also arrested, warned and cautioned Mr. Kampyongo for the offence of Endangering Safety Contrary to Section 8(f) of CAP 445 Safety of Civil Aviation Act of the laws of Zambia while Mr. Nakacinda has been charged with defamation of the President.

Some people have condemned the arrests but during a media briefing in Ndola on Monday, Mr. Matambo said it is not true that the arrests are being made on tribal or political lines.

He said law enforcement agencies have made more arrests recently because they are operating freely under the UPND Government.

Mr. Matambo said the New Dawn Government is restoring law and order.

“Let me talk about arrests which are going on against those who stole from Zambian people. Some are saying the arrest is tribal, it is not tribal. A thief is a thief so if a thief is arrested then you will be bringing trial issue. No,” he said.

“And everyone is innocent until they are proven guilty. This is the time for those who are affected to go and prove themselves, to prove their innocence. There is nothing to do with tribal when it comes to this. We promised the people of Zambia that every coin that has been from the people of Zambia we will have to recover it so that it can go back to the people of Zambia,” said Mr. Matambo.

“And His Excellence (President Hakainde Hichilema) is not that type who influence or instruct officers to go and arrest who, no. We have given power back to the law enforcement officers, there is no cadrelism. Police officers will operate professionally they will not be looking at who is this one? Which party is he coming from? Which part of the country is this person coming from? Officers will treat Zambians as one because nobody is above the law. We are here to maintain law and order,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Matambo accused PF members of behaving like Messiahs for the people of Zambia after losing power during the last August elections.

He said PF members and officials should keep quiet because they failed the people of Zambia during their ten-year rule.

Mr. Matambo said the PF is utilizing every little opportunity to criticize the New Dawn Government with jealousy.

“I want to appeal to the people of Zambia, the people of the Copperbelt to stop listening to these colleagues of ours who failed to run the country in ten years, now they want to act like Messianic agents. All of a sudden they have become Messiahs, speaking on behalf of Zambians, the Zambians they suppressed,” he said.

Mr. Matambo held a media briefing at which he highlighted some achievements of the UPND Government such as the removal of cadres from markets and bus stations, awarding of a 12% salary increment to civil servants, planned hiring of 30,000 teachers, increasing of CDF allocation and provision of free education.

The Copperbelt Minister further defended the removal of subsidies on fuel saying the decision has been done in good faith in a bid to revive the local economy.

Source: lusakatimes