By SIMON MUNTEMBA and KETRA KALUNGA
THERE is urgent need for President Hakainde Hichilema to intervene and stop the unnecessary waves of raids, searches and arrests of former ruling party officials and associates for the sake of peace, Lumezi Member of Parliament Munir Zulu has claimed.
And Mr Zulu has accused the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of wanting to arrest and inject him with foreign substance in order to kill, an allegation that a commission has refuted.
In an interview, Mr Zulu said the “unnecessary arrests” of perceived political opponents of the ruling party was uncalled-for and needed to be stopped because it was a recipe for anarchy.
Mr Zulu was reacting to the dramatic arrests and summoning of Patriotic Front members, its associates, and former government senior officials such as Mr Amos Chanda, former State House Press Aide by the investigative wings.
The PF has said so far 19 of its members have either been raided, searched or interrogated and arrested.
Mr Zulu called upon President Hichilema to put a halt to ongoing waves of arrests of individuals for speaking out against government ills.
“There is need for the President to stop these unnecessary raids and arrests,” MrZulu said.
Meanwhile, speaking to journalists upon arrival at ACC offices around 11:20 hours, Mr Zulu claimed that the commission wanted to detain and jab him with foreign substances to kill.
He also has challenged the ACC to disclose to Zambians through records at ministry of Lands how many properties the officers owned individually because it was unfair to keep harassing politicians over properties they acquired when they cannot account for their own properties.
“Let us go to the Ministry of Lands and print a list of properties they own today and compare with their salaries,” he demanded.
Mr Zulu said he was ready to face the ACC because there was no way he could be summoned by people who had no the capacity to fight corruption.
About 20 minutes, Mr Zulu accompanied by his lawyers stormed out of the offices and went to Woodland Police Station to offer solidarity to detained PF Member of the Central Committee, Raphael Nakacinda.
He disclosed that the ACC officers asked him to officially lodge his complaints against those he accused of having bribed him but decided to storm out of their offices because he could not lodge a complaint against ACC officers to ACC.
He said he would instead raise a motion in Parliament over the matter.
‘’We need to bring in Zambia Bureau of Investigators because I don’t understand how someone getting K11,000 salary is going to drive an SUV for $50 000 but it’s an offense because I am a member of parliament,’’ he said.
But ACC spokesperson, Queen Chibwe said the commission was saddened by Mr. Zulu’s allegations , describing them as “baseless and unfounded”.
Ms Chibwe said the Commission is disappointed with the behaviour of Mr Zulu who after being given an opportunity to officially lodge his complaints, stormed out of the offices in the company of his lawyers without courtesy.
