By LUCY PHIRI
I’M not shaken and nothing will change me. I will always be GBM. No one will take that away from me, former United Party for National Development (UPND) Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has said.
Mr Mwamba was speaking in an interview at the Lusaka Magistrate Court premises yesterday after meeting the bail conditions as ordered by the court.
The court granted Mwamba bail of K300, 000 in own recognizance with two working sureties.
Mr Mwamba said he was in court just because he resigned from UPND.
This is in a matter Mwamba has been charged with Lusaka businessman Adolphus Mubanga. The two are facing 27 counts of money laundering and being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The two appeared before Magistrate Sandford Ngobola for commencement of plea but however could not take plea as the defence team represented by Mr Bonaventure Mutale made an application to have the matter adjourned.
Mr Mutale made an application saying he needed enough time to go through the indictment as he just received it and also to advise his client who is facing 24 counts.
The former defence minister said he would remain firm as no one could ever shake him because he had passed through a lot in his political career.
He said he had been detained on several times so the whole process happening to him is not strange.
“This is not the first time I’m going through this, even with the previous president I went through this, same even with UPND, I went through the same, I have been detained several times so this is not strange to me. I’m not shaken, this is not the time to be shaken, I have never been shaken and no one will shake me,’’ he said.
Mr Mwamba said all is going through is a political persecution because they are talking about the case which happened when he was Minister of Defence.
“This is a political persecution, they are talking about a case which happened when I was Minister of Defence and they have no facts that I interfered in the procurement of that contract,’’ he said.
“I am here, but I assure you that I’m strong and getting stronger by the day,’’ he said.
He assured the Patriotic Front that he was back and will now start doing his duties.
“I have been quiet for too long and I think this is the time to start mobilising my people from my party PF.’’ he said.
Mr Mwamba was charged on Eight Counts of Conflict of Interest contrary to section 28 (2) as read with subsection (3) of the Anti-Corruption Act number 3 of 2012 of the laws of Zambia.
This is in a matter where Mr. Mwamba, when he was Minister of Defence between 2012 and 2013 failed to disclose his interest in writing on Three Zambia Army contracts and Five Zambia Air Force contracts that were awarded to Curzon Global Limited by the Ministry of Defence.
It is alleged that the said Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba had interest in the same company.
