The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Zambia has released a statement denying the allegations of corruption being made against two Cabinet Ministers. The allegations surfaced after Lumezi Member of Parliament and Secretary General for the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Hon. Munir Zulu held a press briefing yesterday, during which he claimed that the Minister of Finance and National Planning Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane and the Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Development Hon. Charles Milupi were under investigation by the ACC for corrupt practices.
In response, the ACC released a statement that read, “The Commission wishes to inform the public that it is not investigating the two Cabinet Ministers over any alleged corrupt practices. As such, the two Ministers have never been summoned by the Commission to appear before it for interrogation.” The Commission also called on Hon. Zulu to provide details of the alleged corruption so that an investigation could be carried out.
Meanwhile, Hon. Zulu continued to make accusations against the two Ministers during his press briefing, claiming that they had received bribes of $250,000 each over the Lusaka Ndola Dual carriageway. He further alleged that the two Ministers had been appearing before the ACC secretly and that the State House was aware of the situation.
Hon. Zulu challenged the ACC to deny his allegations, stating, “All I can say is that if the ACC denies that they are investigating the Ministers, then they are not doing their job properly. The ACC should be investigating every allegation of corruption, regardless of who is involved.”
These allegations have sparked a debate among political leaders and the public alike. Hon. Binwell Chansa Mpundu, in response to Hon. Zulu’s allegations, called for the President to put the two Ministers on leave to pave the way for investigations if the information proved to be true. He stated, “These allegations are huge, and all that State House and the ACC should do now is inform the public what they know because silence will denote consent.”
However, Minister of Infrastructure and Planning Charles Milupi has vehemently denied the allegations, stating in a press statement, “I must categorically state that these are false and baseless allegations. From a collective point of view, the New Dawn administration will continue on its agenda to upgrade our core road network using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of financing. No amount of political slander will distract us from this objective, which we are now collectively actualizing in a highly transparent and accountable manner.”
Minister Milupi has also announced that he will be putting up a team of lawyers to defend himself against the allegations, saying, “For this reason, I am putting up a team of lawyers so that the people who have raised these allegations can answer in the courts of law. Let me also state here that I am not above reproach as Charles Milupi. If I have committed any wrongdoing in the execution of my public mandate, I am ready and should be liable to face the consequences.”
The public is eagerly awaiting further developments in this story, and the ACC’s response to Hon. Zulu’s allegations is anticipated.
