KAMPYONGO GOES FOR DEC
…they’re being mischievous
By Kombe Mataka
FORMER home affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo has accused the Drug Enforcement Commission of wanting to embarrass former first lady Esther Lungu over her flats in State Lodge.
Last Friday, DEC public relations officer Mathias Kamanga said the Commission had taken possession of 15 flats believed to be proceeds of crime belonging to Esther Nyawa Tembo.
Kamanga claimed the properties had been abandoned and the DEC was yet to establish “who Esther Nyawa Tembo is” following the quick verification of the details found inside the property which is complete and ready for occupation.
But on Wednesday, Esther upon claiming ownership of the property ordered the DEC to vacate the premises.
In a letter of demand to DEC director general Mary Chirwa dated 6th July 2022, through her lawyer Makebi Zulu, Esther accused the commission of having trespassed on the property.
“If your office has been diligent enough to conduct an elementary search at the Ministry of Lands, you would have concluded that our client owns the property instead of embarking on a media stint which in our view is intended to impute wrongdoing on the party of our client in relation to the said properties especially that you state that DEC has taken over property that is believed to have been abandoned and draw a conclusion that, ‘whoever the owner is, may be running away from something’,” reads the letter in part. “Ours informs us that she acquired the said properties in about 2015 and the said properties have been there from the said time. The properties sit on four titles and the same are in her name. The said titles are attached for your ease of reference. Ours takes great exception to the said conduct and demands that you forthwith leave the property failing which we have instructions to take out process against yourselves. By copy of this letter, you are accordingly put to notice.”
Commenting on the matter, Kampyongo described the DEC’s announcement as a ploy to embarrass Esther.
“They are just being mischievous and if investigative wings are being mischievous and not honest with the work they are doing, who is going to believe them? They know very well that that name, not too long ago, the first lady was graduating at the University of Zambia and you remember she was called by all her names. So those are names and for them to claim that the person by those names has run away is mischievous and disrespectful. Why didn’t they go and approach the former first lady and find out because they know that those names are associated with her and clarify if she has papers or not? And it is foolish to think that a person who had reached that status can’t even have 10 flats. It’s not like she has been a pauper all her life,” said Kampyongo. “It’s not a puzzle. That is where the mischief lies. In the meantime, their President [Hakainde Hichilema] is saying make sure you investigate matters before you arrest! That is doing the opposite of what the President is saying because any investigator worth their salt, they could have done the ground work because even when you pick a chap from the street, they will tell you that is the name of the former first lady. How do you say this person has disappeared?”