THE Task Force on Corruption has said former president Fredrick Chilubas (pictured) application to have his immunity restored is premature because he is still being investigated for the role he played in an arms deal in which Zambia lost US$20 million.But Dr Chilubas spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba said that the former president did not have any cases as a competent court acquitted him on all the charges that led to the lifting of his immunity eight years ago.
Task Force on Corruption executive chairperson, Max Nkole said Dr Chiluba was also being probed for other cases including the role he played in the privatisation of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) and the Carlington maize deal.
There are other cases in which Dr Chiluba is being investigated and it is premature to jump on a technicality of his acquittal and start asking for the restoration of the immunity, Mr Nkole said.
Mr Nkole said once the task force had concluded its investigations in the cases involving Dr Chiluba, the matter would be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for his opinion on whether the former president could be prosecuted.
He said the investigative wing had taken long to conclude the investigations into the matters involving Dr Chiluba because the former president and his accomplices had on several occasions challenged the existence of the task force.
These are the same people that have been challenging the existence of the task force and now they are complaining that the cases are taking long, Mr Nkole said.
On Dr Chilubas acquittal on all the six counts of theft by public servant, Mr Nkole said the task force was consulting its lawyers with a view to appeal against the judgment.
Mr Nkole said depending on the advice, the task force would appeal against the verdict.
His acquittal is not an indication of innocence on his part and he should not claim to be innocent because there are other cases being investigated against him. We are consulting our lawyers with a view to appeal, Mr Nkole said.
However, Mr Mwamba said a court acquitted Dr Chiluba and the task force should not be a stumbling block to the restoration of his immunity.
We are calling on all well-meaning Zambians including the president not to listen to people like Mr Nkole who are profiteering and are beneficiaries of this process. They wish to continue this process, Mr Mwamba said.
He said as far as Dr Chiluba was concerned, there were no cases against him that should warrant the denial of the restoration of his immunity.
Mr Mwamba said for eight years, the task force had failed to investigate the cases and wondered why after the acquittal they could start bringing other charges.
We insist that his immunity be restored to protect him from frivolous and malicious investigations as the task force has been doing, Mr Mwamba said.
The National Assembly said yesterday that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Amusaa Mwanamwambwa was studying the matter in which Dr Chiluba is demanding the restoration of his legal immunity.
National Assembly chief research and media liaison officer, Chikomeni Banda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the National Assembly received a letter from Dr Chilubas lawyers on Wednesday and the speakers office was still studying the matter.
On Wednesday, Dr Chilubas advocates, Simeza, Sangwa and Associates wrote to the National Assembly demanding the restoration of the former presidents legal immunity.
And the MMD on the Copperbelt has backed calls by Dr Chiluba to have his immunity restored.
Copperbelt MMD chairperson, Joseph Chilambwe said yesterday that now that Dr Chiluba had been acquitted of his criminal charges, it was only right that his immunity was restored.
Naturally, since he has been acquitted of the offence, it is only right that his immunity is restored, Mr Chilambwe said.
Times of Zambia
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