Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:27:27 +0000
…in the presidential declaration of assets
By Aaron Chiyanzo
IF Hakainde Hichilema had assets he did not declare in any election when he spoke under oath and was expected to, then he, like all persons guilty of perjury , is liable for prosecution, says former UPND vice president for politics Canisius Banda.
And Dr Banda said that business dealings of Mr Hichilema should be thoroughly and forensically investigated objectively and devoid of malice, following revelations that he had money hidden in offshore accounts.
Dr Banda said that in a manner devoid of malice and ill-will, Mr Hichilema should be asked questions and be given the space to convince the nation that he was neither a fraudster nor a trickster.
He pointed out that all businesses the world over should be devoid of criminal activities but that not all wrong was captured by the world’s judiciary books.
Dr Banda said that businesses the world over were nearly always in conflict with the societal good because their primary goal was the pursuit of maximum profits and that on this journey it was not uncommon for businesses to exploit not only individuals but governments as well.
He said that businesses were intrinsically self-centered and that it was the blind pursuit of profit that riddled the ventures with dubiousness.
Dr Banda reiterated that it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a businessman to hold public office at the same time as conflict of interest became the nemesis.
“The cases of the prime ministers of Iceland and Pakistan are illustrative. This is why, when it was discovered that they were involved in offshore dealings and tax avoidance, they resigned.
“So it follows that should Mr Hichilema be found to be culpable he must not be allowed to hold public office. What Zambians must note is that tax avoidance is frowned upon the world over. The EU is presently actively making efforts to combat it.
It is this kind of smartness that exhibited by tax avoiders that no ethical human being must praise,” he said.
Dr Banda said in an interview that if the UPND leader was found guilty, he should resign forthwith his party presidency, adding that the move would set the right precedent as a principle for all Zambians and leadership the world over.
Meanwhile, Dr Banda said that if Mr Hichilema had assets he did not declare when he spoke under oath and when he was expected to, then he, like all persons guilty of such conduct, was liable for prosecution as lying under oath was illegal and that it was a crime.
He charged that holding public office required high levels of probity and that barring this it then became merely a ruse for personal enhancement to the detriment of communities and the common good.
