EX-MINISTER DARES ACC
…PROBE US, WE ARE READY – PULE

By GIDEON NYENDWA
FORMER minister, Daniel Pule, is ready to be probed having been an associate of former President Edgar Lungu, and is confident of exonerating himself.
Dr Pule, who is also Christian Democratic Party (CDP) president said yesterday, the asset recovery process by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), should be quick, thorough and professional so close associates to Mr Lungu can exonerate themselves and go back to a normal way of life.
Dr. Pule said that all the associates of the former presidents were under investigation and his call was that the investigations should be quick, thorough and professional so that those who were found wanting could be taken to court without delay and allow people to go back to their normal way of life.
“All those who worked with President Lungu are under investigation, mark my words,” he said.
He said but what the people of Zambia should know was that everyone who was under investigation should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty.
Dr. Pule said people should learn from the late President Frederick Chiluba’s case, who was pursued for many years until it was proven that he was not guilty.
He said it was important that the government expedite the process of trials for the people who were being arrested by investigative wings so that they could exonerate themselves.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
Dr. Pule said it was not everyone who was being investigated who was guilty and that was why it was important that justice must be quickened so that people could go back to their normal way of life.
He said people were being labelled as thieves before they were even proven guilty by the courts which was not supposed to be the case.
Dr. Pule said there was a very big difference between an accused person and a convict which the people of Zambia find difficult to understand.
He said the processes should be quickened so that those people who would be found guilty could face the due process of the law and those that would be innocent could be freed.