KATELE KALUMBA IS A VICTIM OF INJUSTICE – LUBINDA
Lusaka, Thursday, February 2, 2023
Former Justice minister Given Lubinda has described the incarceration of Dr. Katele Kalumba along with three others as an act of injustice.
Speaking shortly after he visited Dr. Kalumba who is hospitalized at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) recently, Mr. Lubinda said Dr. Kalumba is just a ‘victim of injustice’.
And when asked about the condition of Dr. Kalumba, Mr. Lubinda told the interviewer that he found the former finance minister in high spirits.
He stated he was happy that Dr. Kalumba was aware that he was going through the ‘persecution’ not for himself but for freedom in a ‘country that claims to be governed by the rule of law’.
“We found him in high spirits, the man is not broken. If there’s anybody who thinks that the sentence that was handed out to him has broken him, no!, that spirit can never be broken. He is proud that he is the one who is going to carry the cross on behalf of many zambians who are suffering at the hands of injustice,” Mr. Lubinda said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lubinda who is also PF Acting President told journalists that he is looking forward to the determination of the Judicial Complaints Commission over the matter.
Mr. Lubinda was accompanied by PF Members of the Central Committee, Nickson Chilangwa who is also acting Party Secretary General, Kavumbu Hakachima Hachilonde who is also party Deputy National Chairlady, MCC Charity Kapona and Elias Daka.
Others were MCC Dr. Frank Ngambi and other part officials.
The Supreme Court recently upheld the conviction of former Finance Minister Dr. Katele and three others who were sentenced to five years imprisonment for corrupt practices.
The three others are former Finance Permanent Secretary Stella Chibanda and former directors of the defunct Access Financial Services Faustine Kabwe and Aaron Chungu.
This is in a matter where Dr. Kalumba, Mrs.Chibanda ,Mr. Kabwe and Mr. Chungu were charged with corruption in relation to the payments to a USA security companies Systems Innovation and Wilbain Incorporation involving 20 million dollars between 1997 and 2000.
The payments were served for security installations in strategic government institutions.
The convicts were arrested in 2002.