Former Minister of Justice and Rainbow Party President, Wynter Kabimba has said President Hakainde Hichilema should not fall prey to old tricks played by senior officials from law enforcement agencies to keep their jobs.
He said over the years, these institutions act in a self-preservation and self-interest mode by embarking on populist investigative acts against past government officials to please the new Administration.
He said the agencies did the same tricks to the governments of Frederick Chiluba against Kenneth Kaunda, the Mwanawasa Administration against Chiluba’s, and so on.
Kabimba said the institutions were highly contaminated and incapable of cleaning up and always act to preserve themselves.
“Instead of sending District Commissioners on forced leave, it’s these officials that should be sent on forced leave and locked up. They harass and vilify the outgoing government officials to win favours from the new government”, he said.
“In the manner, they act, they are a serious danger to the country.”, he said.
Mr. Kabimba said the officers in these institutions should justify their stay in office since 2016.
“I get surprised how these institutions work. How is it that Valden Findlay was a good citizen but a day after President Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in, Valden Findlay is turned into a criminal and his accounts are frozen overnight”, he asked.
“It is known that these institutions operate in a partisan manner and actually help bring governments down. Edgar was brought down, partly by these institutions” he said.
“Because if you are an officer of integrity, and a certain individual has committed an offense, proceed to arrest and prosecute,” he said.
“And if a political force comes to interfere, you resign and announce to the nation your decision, we saw this in Kenya” he said.
“Now Milingo, the liquidator to KCM has his accounts frozen. Why didn’t they do it then if transactions were suspicious? Now they want to pander to HH that they are clean and that the past regime was rotten, and they themselves are clean.”, he said.
“For me, it raises a question. Why didn’t you get to the bottom of these alleged crimes in the past, in fact, we must investigate all these institutions for failing to execute their duties while getting paid.” Mr. Kabimba said.
“Dora Siliya was facing criminal prosecution. When she joined the Patriotic Front, within a spate of a month, she was acquitted of all charges”, he said.
“If President Hakainde was to get my view, I would send everyone at DEC, ACC, and FIC away. Get them out and lock them up!” he emphasized.
He dismissed allegations that these institutions face political interference.
“It’s not interference, it is them that have built a culture of self-preservation internally. When they see a change of government, they vilify the out-going officers, to look good to the new administration
They are a danger to this country. They don’t get instructions from anyone, that is how they survive”, he said.