Africa-Press – Zambia. The Minister Kakubo “gift” from some foreign business persons and dignitary must be a lesson to Ministers on how they ought to or ought not to conduct themselves in public because, in all they do, they are representative of the Republican President Hakainde Hichilema who appointed them and task them on what to do.
In no way do I think Minister Kakubo received or didn’t receive cash from foreign nationals. Kakubo, my former school mate, is quite a decent man but public perception is bigger in this country.
The fall of the Patriotic Front (PF) regime was largely due to negative public perception and how the President was said to have done nothing or the opposition linking him to what his lieutenants were doing. The UPND regime is now tasting its own medicine at an early hour under the N. D. Administration
The last one week, there have been revelations that some named Ministers at Finance and State House, led by the Attorney General’s Office met former Konkola Copper Mines Liquidator Milingo Lungu and negotiated a settlement.
According to information, the KCM Liquidator was to resign as Liquidator in exchange for withdrawal of initial criminal charges so the DPP could bring new lesser charges under, what the civilised world call “plea bargaining”. The actions by the DEC, largely motivated by public pressure against the administration, is what has now caused the row between the DPP and the DEC.
But we now at a point where the State could have gotten a lot of information during negotiations with Mr Milingo and his legal team which they may want to use for prosecuting him. In a civilised world, the defence team would object to such prosecution because it deprives the accused of an opportunity to put up a fair defence since the prosecution have undue advantage. But that is story for another day.
I believe President Hichilema himself would not be so naive to directly get involved in negotiating a deal with Mr. Milingo, unless his handlers did him injustice by putting him to such a risk.
However, the roles played by his Ministers in the Milingo matter have put President Hichilema in a difficult, if not compromised, position in the eyes of the public. The weak defence put up by State House and the silence of both the Ministers and AG has created a strong narrative that the meeting did actually took place. It is believed Government is u-turning on the deal after Mr Milingo discharged his side of the agreement.
Now we have Minister Kakubo meeting and getting gifts from foreign business entities and and Embassy Official, walking away with a bag containing unknown items, which the public believe is some cash bribe while he claims it was a pen and a calendar.
Kakubo’s meeting was photo or video captured and his bag-carrying images are now circulating on social media, in the same fashion a classified letter by the DPP was made to circulate on social media. This must tell all Ministers that their actions are under serious public scrutiny..
There are also serious indications by the EEP leader Chilufya Tayali that the UPND are receiving the same favours from the same foreign-owned business entities who sponsored the PF.
Mr Tayali claims the ACC will not disclose to the public about who the real owners of the 31 so-called confiscated vehicles because it would unmask the identity of the generous foreign business sponsors.
Anyway, we don’t expect President Hichilema to act on these allegations against Ministers: at State House, Finance and now Foriegn Affairs. This is how it was even under the PF.
The former President EC Lungu always demanded for evidence. Am sure President Hichilema is now demanding for the same evidence. Former President ECL called what is happening “mfwiti mfwiti type of doing things.”
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