Munir Zulu, Member of Parliament for Lumezi, has been arrested by police after failing to comply with several requests to present himself to authorities. Zulu is currently being detained in police custody, with a comprehensive statement to be issued on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
This news comes amidst allegations made by Zulu, an Independent Member of Parliament, claiming that Finance and National Planning Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane and his Infrastructure counterpart Charles Milupi received US$250,000 bribes in relation to the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway project.
Speaking during a Media Briefing in Lusaka last week, Hon Zulu said he had information from impeccable sources that the two Ministers had been secretly appearing before the ACC, and that State House was aware of the investigations. Zulu questioned why the ACC was not updating the nation on the progress made, and tasked the commission to tell the nation why the matter they have been investigating for two weeks is not being availed to the public.
“If the ACC does not tell us where this money came from, we shall name the contractor who transferred $250,000 to each one’s account. We have the information. We are giving them a benefit of the doubt to tell the nation. Why is this information being guarded secretly? We have also received disturbing information that Engineer Mulchard Kuntawala allegedly transferred some money before he was appointed RDA Board Chairman through a bank transfer again to Hon Charles Milupi, and the ACC have been investigating the matter. We demand that the ACC must come out clear on Milupi and Musokotwane,” he said.
However, President Hakainde Hichilema has dismissed these allegations as baseless and without merit, accusing Zulu of being a “mischievous individual who tries to destroy innocent people.”
In response, President Hichilema has announced that his government is taking legal action against Zulu and has encouraged his Finance and Infrastructure Ministers to sue him.
President Hichilema, who took office in August 2021, has been vocal about his commitment to fighting corruption and reviving the economy, which has been struggling in recent years due to high levels of debt, inflation, and unemployment. In addition to his efforts to fight corruption and promote economic growth, President Hichilema has pledged to invest in infrastructure and social programs to address the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.
