Africa-Press – Zambia. PeP STATEMENT No.74 ISSUED ON THURSDAY 16th SEPTEMBER 2021: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we agree with President Hakainde Hichilema that there was a lot of theft of public resources under the PF administration and that those resources need to be recovered and the perpetrators prosecuted.
However, we are of the considered view that the existing heads of law enforcement agencies and investigative wings such as Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) are not the right people to champion the fight against corruption that took place under the PF administration as they themselves were in the middle of that corruption.
2. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we know for a fact that these investigative wings were very quiet during the PF administration, which makes them accomplices to the looting that took place.
The problem with having these same heads of investigative wings continue in their positions is that they are now too excited to please their new masters and are now even acting unprofessionally by disclosing intimate details of on-going investigations such as the alleged purchase of a bank by a Ward Councillor for K300 million. Instead of carrying out proper and professional investigations that can actually stand in court, these investigative wings are now in the business of grandstanding, trying very hard to get noticed as hard workers by the new administration. The problem that will arise from such an approach is that these investigative wings will end up bungling up these corruption cases such that the cases will be tainted and not prosecutable in court.
3. As Patriots for Economic Progress we wish to appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema to consider appointing new heads of investigative wings as soon as possible so that professionalism can be restored in the manner that criminal investigations are undertaken. If the President does not act quickly in this regard, there will be no corruption case left to prosecute and no stolen public resources to recover because all the cases would have been tainted and not prosecutable. When this happens, it is the Zambian people that will be the biggest losers.
Thank You and May God Bless the Good Citizens of the Republic of Zambia and Our Ailing Nation. YOURS SINCERELY SEAN E. TEMBO (SET) PARTY PRESIDENT PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP)
