Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe has denied allegations that President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice President Mutale Nalumango as well as state house senior staff and other government officials met with former Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Provisional Liquidator Milingo Lungu to enter into an immunity in return for him resigning as KCM Provisional Liquidator.
Responding to a question from the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, during a press briefing held at the Ministry of Justice, Haimbe reiterated that its not the policy of the President and government to meet with persons who are in conflict with the law and undertake any sort of negotiation with them for purposes of undermining the course of justice.
“We wish to end all public speculation which suggests that the presidency has interfered in the DPP’s functions in any way including by issuing instructions to grant immunity to any persons facing criminal proceedings in Zambia. No such instructions have ever been issued as doing so would be abhorrent to the principal of the new dawn government to protect institutions of governance and the rule of law”, he said.
Haimbe said contrary to speculations that the president can direct the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the exercise of her functions, the opposite is true. He added that the only caution to the exercise of the DPP’S functions is that she must do so within the law, failure to which she must be held to account as no one is above the law.
He emphasized that it is not the policy of government for the president to meet and negotiate with any person that is in conflict with the law for purposes of subverting the course of justice.
The Minister also noted that any action taken by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the exercise of her office has been done unilaterally by her, in her sole discretion and in the purported exercise of her constitutional mandate.
Haimbe however said the ministry’s assessment is that there have been significant lapses in the way the DPP has exercised her functions concerning the confines of the law and in the public interest adding that, these lapses require thorough, independent and fair investigation by relevant bodies.
He added that the ministry is aware that various citizens have approached the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) with complaints against the DPP and the JCC’s mandate among other things is to independently investigate and consider such complaints with a view ultimately to regressing them in accordance with the law.
The minister urged the JCC to expedite its consideration of the complaints before it so as, not only to afford the DPP a platform on which to explain her actions but also to put an end to public speculation over these important issues.
