LUNGU WILL BE BRUISED
…people must be careful what they wish for, warns Haimbe
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
JUSTICE minister Mulambo Haimbe has advised former president Edgar Lungu to stop being acrimonious in a political way or he will be bruised.
Haimbe told The Mast that Lungu must make a resolve to remain a statesman whom the government can go to seek advice.
“He can dare as much as he likes. People must be careful what they wish for. It is unnecessary. He is enjoying a peaceful existence. Nobody is harassing him per say. Law enforcement agencies making enquiries is not harassment,” Haimbe said.
He said the former head of state was not immune from investigation but prosecution.
Last Thursday Lungu said he is ready to face the law if he stole during his tenure as president.
He is unhappy that he, as well as his former government officials and family members, have been subjects of investigation for crimes allegedly committed when he was president.
Lungu was particularly displeased that the Drug Enforcement Commission went to a piece of land that he owns to carry out investigations.
He appealed to his successor Hakainde Hichilema to start the process of removing his constitutional immunity from prosecution so that he can clear his name.
“He who alleges, must prove and we will defend ourselves,” Lungu told PF members of parliament and supporters from who visited him. “My urge is that may the president institute the lifting of my immunity by going to parliament to lay a case so that he can eventually prove what crimes I committed.”
But Haimbe said the law is clear.
“Look at the law. It is immunity from prosecution not investigation. How am I going to know whether you have done something wrong if I don’t do an investigation? Again the head of state is retired. Let him remain so. Let him be a statesman. That is what people do when they
retire. Why throw around allegations? What DEC was doing was an inquiry. An inquiry can be made and you explain. It does not mean he is above the law, he is above reproach. If there seems to be something
strange it is very straight forward for him to simply say, ‘look this is how I acquired this and these are the papers’. That is it. It ends
there. Is it the situation of the guilty being afraid? You start wondering,” Haimbe said.
“Why go through a tirade of that nature and to make matters worse do so on a political party platform? What is he trying to say? And his people are continually saying we will be coming back. What is the message that is being given? I urge the former head of state to remain a former head of state. A statesman who we can go to for advice. A father of the nation rather than being acrimonious in a political way, he will be bruised.”
He said Lungu should be careful about what he wished for.
“He can dare as much as he likes. People must be careful what they wish for. It is unnecessary. He is enjoying a peaceful existence, nobody is harassing him per say. Law enforcement agencies making enquiries is not harassment. They can make an enquiry on me today if they so wish. I would not call it harassment,” said Haimbe.