By SILUMESI MALUMO
A PRIVATE prosecutor should take up the prosecution of Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the whole privatisation process because the “Deep State” will never take up this task as it is not in their best interest. Moreover, Government may not want to do this for fear of being misunderstood, former National Democratic Congress (NDC) secretary-general Mwenya Musenge has said.
Mr Musenge said a private prosecutor would be the best to take up this onerous task because “Deep State” will never take up this task, and Government will not want to be seen as prosecuting a rival.
“Deep State” is a term referring to compromised state agencies. Mr Musenge said there is need to engage foreign investigative wings, to work with local private prosecutors to carry out thorough inestigation into the fraudulent sale of national assets.
However, Mr Musenge said the best was to have a private prosecution of the case so that Zambians can have input, especially those with firsthand information of what happened during the privatisation programme.
He also said there was need to establish why the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and other investigative agencies were failing to take appropriate action against the culprits.
Mr Musenge said the local investigative wings had failed to investigative the matter which had resulted in a sad economic situation for the country.
Mr Musenge who is also former Copperbelt Minister said with the arrogance being exhibited by local investigative agencies, only foreign investigative wings would help to bring the matter to bed.
He said in an interview yesterday that Government should ensure foreign investigative wings conduct a private persecution so that people know what really transpired.
Mr Musenge said foreign investigative wings were the only ones who can do a better job to unearth whatever happened.
“I think it will be nice to call foreigners on this issue. This thing will continue coming up even in the generations to come if it is not tackled now,” he said. The Anti-Corruption Commission, he said, has really failed us by failing to investigate the issue of privatisation. “The issue of Intercontinental Hotel in Livingstone which was sold at a cheap price when we had good bidders. We need answers on these issues and the only ones to do it better are foreign investigative wings,” he said.
Mr Musenge said there was no need to hesitate over the matter because the truth needed to be revealed.
He said it was important to take action against those who would be found to have plundered the country’s economy.
“For me I think those who did everything to put the country where it is need to face the law,” Mr Musenge said.
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