Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:41:37 +0000
The public summoning of former Republican president Rupiah Banda by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) was done in very bad faith and was unprofessional, Zambian Voice Executive Director Chilufya Tayali has said.
He castigated the Commission for failing to professionally and quietly investigate the former president saying “there is a tendency by the ACC to prosecute people even during investigations through the media like they did in the Rupiah Banda case where letters were distributed to tell the people that he was being investigted.”
‘This tendecy should stop. The Commission should act professionally. They do not need to summon Rupiah Banda but can quietly go to his home and ask him questions and after the investigations, the ACC has an obligation to report to the people that they have found the former president with a cse to answer” he said.
“Since the summoning was public, the people should be told what cases are being investigated. Rupiah Banda’s case is divisive by nature and the ACC should be professional in the way they approach this case to allow people form their opinion because they have the right to protect their leaders like they have already done by responding to the ACC summoning of the former president” he said.
He urged the Commission to allow the people form their opinion on such delicate cases instead of letting cases “jump from the ACC pockets to parliament without people knowing reasons for the removal of the former president.”
He urged the ACC to carefully investigate the case of Rupiah Banda but added that the former president should be given a chance to answer to any allegations before his case can be tabled in parliament for the removal of his immunity like the case was with the late president Chiluba where cases were read in Parliament but were never brought before courts of law.
“Parliament is not self sufficient in itself, it is composed of Members who have electorates and what they vote in Parliament is not their own opinion but what the people have said based on facts presented to them after investigations” Tayali said.
Mr Tayali said the ACC should show integrity and confidence in the way they handle their cases to avoid dividing the nation.
He said that the case in which the ACC has summoned Mr. Banda in connection with ongoing corruption and criminal investigations in which he has been named should be approached with reason other than emotion to enable Zambians form an opinion as to whether to remove his immunity or not.
He urged the Commision to handle the case with caution in order to protect the office of the former president which if not handled could lead to dictorial tendencies by the current and future leaders.
