VICE-PRESIDENT W.K. Mutale-Nalumango has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) facing corruption suspicion not to plead their innocence via social media.
The vice-president, who is also leader of Government business in the House, guided members to instead await
their day in court to clear their names if charged and arrested.
“But if you choose to cry before the court of public opinion, probably it will even judge you faster,” Ms Mutale- Nalumango said.
She said this in Parliament yesterday in response to a follow up question by Sesheke United Party for National Development (UPND) MP Romeo Kang’ombe.
Mr Kang’ombe’s question followed a question for oral answer rendered by Lunte Patriotic Front (PF) MP Mutotwe Kafwaya, who wanted to know how many people were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for corruption from August, 2021 to August, 2022.
Mr Kafwaya also wanted to know how many cases had been taken to the courts of law and how many convictions had been secured, as of August, 2022.
In response to Mr Kafwaya, Ms Mutale- Nalumango said 68 people had been arrested in the period under review, from 55 cases.
She said 45 cases had been taken to court, with 10 convictions secured.
“Some of the cases had been resolved internally without being taken to court and from those in court, some are still ongoing hence only the 10 convictions so far,” she said.
Ms Mutale Nalumango said among those involved in the cases were politically exposed persons and she laid the case specifics on the table of the House for further perusal by the members.
Meanwhile, acting Mines and Minerals Development Minister Felix Mutati said the Government would ensure minimal job losses in the ongoing restructuring of First Quantum Minerals (FQM) operations.
This was in response to a question from Kamfinsa PF MP Christopher Kang’ombe who asked whether the Government was aware that more than 1,000 FQM and Operations Limited (FQMO) were on the verge of losing their jobs, following the announcement by FQM that FQMO would be closed
and consolidated with the operations at Kansanshi mining plc.
Mr Kang’ombe wanted to know what urgent measures were being taken to prevent job losses which would lead to destitution.
In response, Mr Mutati said the affected workers would be absorbed into other FQM operations, while those that would not, would be compensated by the company.
He said due to Government incentives, the mining sector had attracted fresh investment worth US$1.5 billion.
