IT’S POLITICAL WITCH HUNT – ANTONIO MWNZA
…As he challenges DEC to also summon UPND and 14 other political parties
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
IT is pure political witch-hunt for the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to only summon PF over the source of campaign funds, PF media director Antonio Mwanza has said.
Mr Mwanza claimed that the UPND-led Government was abusing state institutions to intimidate and finish PF.
He said this yesterday after appearing before DEC officers who summoned him to disclose the source of funding for the PF campaigns in the just ended elections.
Mr Mwanza is the latest PF official to be summoned for questioning by the DEC after PF Secretary General Davies Mwila was recently questioned.
Mr Mwanza wondered why the commission could only call PF when there were 16 political parties involved in the last General elections.
“We know that they are being used for political expediency. I was called here to disclose the source of funding for PF during campaigns. But what surprises us is that there were 16 political parties that participated in the last general elections and so far PF is the only party that is questioned about funding. So, this clearly is political witch-hunt,” Mr Mwanza said.
He accused Government of using the commission to silence vocal PF members with the aim of killing the former ruling party and create a one party state.
Mr Mwanza said there was no law that compels a political party to disclose the source of funding.
He further challenged the DEC to summon all political parties including ruling UPND Alliance for questioning over their source of funding during campaigns.
Meanwhile, former PF member Maxwell Chongu yesterday appeared before the DEC officers.
Recently, officers from the DEC conducted a search at the house belonging to MrChongu and seized his four vehicles.
Mr Chongu who was seen coming out the commission offices accompanied by his lawyers opted to remain silent.
When forced to disclose how far his case had gone and what was discussed in the meeting, Mr Chongu said, “no comment”.
DEC public relations manager Mathias Kamanga confirmed that the commission had invited Mr Mwanza to assist with investigations in a matter that was reported.
He however could not go into details of the case for which he had been invited.
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