LAURA MITI WRITES
President Lungu complains, with evident high distress levels, that his family is being accused of and punished for possessing extreme wealth. His unhappiness is that no one has told him where he, who gave them what they own, stole from.
He argues that, surely as a successful lawyer then Republican President, he earned thw millions and millons in question.
I didn’t know what to think of that so basically erroneous understanding of the law – coming from a lawyer. What it did remind me of, though, was the former President’s frustrating – bring me the evidence – argument when he was in office and asked to deal with perceived high levels of corruption, in his government.
As many will remember the apex of that – I will act if you show me where they stole from – position was that mfwiti mfwiti performance at Ndola Airport, I think it was.
Anyhow, President Lungu, I know lawyers, like doctors, do not like ordinary mortals to correct them on a matter in their profession. But then, you are so wrong in your expressed understanding of how things work.
It’s like this. As regards what we own, it is not the responsibility of law enforcement to show that it was obtained via less than kosher means. It is our responsibility and fully so, to have and present receipts.
Simply, it is not enough to say – because I was a prominent lawyer, then President of the nation, I could afford to gift my whole family – wife and children, with my wife also gifting nieces etc – property collectively worth tens of millions of dollars. Rather, what you should do is:
1. Show how your legal earnings as lawyer and President – add any businesses maybe – amounted to these millions.
2. Show the tax you paid on all these earnings. Salaries are easy. It’s the business earnings you have to prove you paid tax on. You understand, I am sure, as former President, how paying tax is a critical responsibility of all citizens, if we are all to have passably decent schools and hospitals – vaso.
3. Prove that you bought the properties members of your family own (from these earned millions) then gifted them, or how you transferred money for them to purchase properties and scores o vehicles.
It’s easy really. It’s the legal trail of money, Sir. Show the investigators the trail of legal money, and all the problems your beloved wife, sons and daughters are experiencing will go away.
Exactly.
There is absolutely nothing difficulty about this if the resources were acquired legitimately and the taxes paid as required by law.
Very simple and straight forward, investigations are not meant to harass or persecute anyone, they are meant to help clear someone’s name. We don’t mind someone having scores of vehicles, flats and many other properties, as long as one is able to explain how the acquisition was done. So as long as Lungu and his family are able to explain how they acquired their wealth, then they will be free people, that’s all what the law wants from them.
ECL thinks we are stupid. He thinks ill gotten money will only come from stealing money from a particular project hence he insists on wanting people to show him where he stole from. Stealing is not limited to conventional way of taking what is not yours but includes kickbacks, in kind “gifts” etc. ECL should stop playing games. Just show us your money trail of your millions to clear your wife & children. You owe us that information as you where/are a public figure paid by our tax monies. Your salary & your allowance which are public information dont add up baba. Show us how you become a brilliant self-made millionaire iwe..