LUMEZI Independent member of parliament Munir Zulu says he will present the documents supporting his corruption allegations against Finance and Infrastructure ministers before the courts of law.
And Zulu says he will only appear before the Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday following the commission’s move to summon him but will say nothing.
Meanwhile, Zulu has expressed disappointment over President Hakainde Hichilema’s reaction to his allegations, saying he had hoped that the Head of State would encourage him to go expose corrupt individuals.
On Tuesday, this week, Zulu alleged that Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and his Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development counterpart Charles Milupi had been secretly appearing before the ACC, further alleging that the two each received US$250,000 bribes in relation to the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway project.
Following Zulu’s briefing, ACC issued a statement stating that it was not carrying out any investigations against the two ministers, while Milupi and Dr Musokotwane said they would sue him.
And speaking at State House, Thursday, President Hichilema said he had encouraged his Finance and Infrastructure Ministers to sue Zulu because he was a “mischievous individual who tries to destroy innocent people”.
But in an interview, Friday, Zulu who had promised to publicise his evidence against the ministers on Wednesday, said he would present the documents before the courts since the two ministers had threatened to sue him.
“They responded within 24 hours (the ACC), they said they were not investigating the two ministers. That was their response and I am happy that on this particular one, they responded and it is me who was now to rebut. But before I could rebut, you have seen the reaction, the threats, so people should relax, I am not in a hurry now because they have responded. Remember I have been consistent on the hunting concessions, the ACC have not responded, on this one they responded. So I will respond at the right time and very soon, I will respond, I am not in a hurry because they have said they are suing me, so let them sue and then I will pick it up from there,” he said.
“I am tired and I was on the verge of holding something but I want people to come with their court documents and we will pick it up from there. Because I do not want to pre-empt my defence because I have known the route they are taking. In every game, you must have a strategy, so it is also my strategy to keep quiet”.
And Zulu said he would appear before the ACC on Monday as the summoning was on short notice.
“I was made to believe that I should go to the ACC today, but I am not going there, I will go there on Monday because the notice came too short. I have got other engagements for today. You know they called me in the morning, you can imagine the caller even says ‘good afternoon’ and yet it is in the morning, so I do not know what type of pressure they are going through… so they said ‘we are expecting you, and I said, ‘how when you have not communicated with me’, so let us wait and see. I did not receive a written summon, it was just a phone call,” he said.
“I was going to cooperate with the ACC had they been reasonable, but it seems they have fallen for the trap of getting involved in the fight, so I will go there and tell them nothing. Remember my challenge was on the ACC but we saw the Ministry of Finance responding before the official statement from the ACC, then the ACC went on to invite me to furnish them with any information that could lead to an investigation. But before I could go to the ACC, the President calls me mischievous, today ACC summoning me, so what information will I give them if they have taken an antagonistic approach?”
Zulu expressed disappointment over the approach taken by the President on the matter.
“Since they are saying they will sue me, I will wait to be sued, because the President has said I am mischievous, I was hoping that the President would have encouraged me to go ahead and expose anyone that is corrupt, but the President says I am mischievous so I will leave it there. I cannot use strong words on the Head of State, like he has come out, but he who laughs last, laughs more, so let us wait and see. I am ready to produce evidence before the courts, but what I am not ready for is to be intimidated. For me to be a member of parliament, it was a fight, so I will not accept to be bullied,” said Munir.
And ACC corporate affairs manager Timothy Moono confirmed that the commission had summoned Zulu.
“Yes I can confirm that we did summon him, we did request him to come. The details of that, we will discuss with him, I cannot speak. We are still waiting for him to come through, my colleagues are in touch with him so they are speaking with him and I’m sure some agreement on when, or what time will be arrived at,” said Moono.
