By Patson Chilemba
Bowman Lusambo says he slept at his house last night, and that tonight he will sleep at the same property that ACC claimed to have seized yesterday.
And Lusambo says he regrets that the PF administration failed to address the need to have the Inspector General of Police and other heads of investigative wings appointments taken away from the presidency, giving details on how this matter would be addressed “under my government.”
Lusambo also claimed that the only property he owns is the seized house, but was asked on the other property, just adjacent to the seized one where he resided for a considerable period, before moving to the other one after mega developments had been finalised in that direction, he claimed the previous one was not his property.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Lusambo said the ACC should have investigated the first house on the tarred road where his house is situated if they were serious about fighting corrupt, including the others who were building flats and houses in that same vicinity.
But asked how it happened that the road leading to his now seized house was tarred and immediately enclosed during the same period he served as minister, Lusambo said there were many roads constructed in that area during the same period and that the only people who could answer for that were the contractors and those in charge of construction in government at the time, saying he was not in charge of any ministry at the time.
He claimed that he did not have any farm as claimed by ACC, saying the ACC guys were just excited and he would have fired them if he were the director general. He said his house was sitting on 30×26 square meters and the one who sold him the plot is around.
He said he built the house in 2013.
But put to him that the road leading to that house was built as recently as two or three years ago when he served as minister, Lusambo said there were roads that were constructed in Obama and Chelstone area during that same period.
“Why is that road special?” Lusambo asked, saying there were many houses on that “public road.”
Asked where he was residing since his house had been seized by ACC, Lusambo said he had only one house, and that he did not know why the same “so-called” ACC seized the house he was living in, claiming it had nothing to do with proceeds of crime.
Asked where he would move to since he was saying that was the only house he had, Lusambo said he would remain there because that was his house and was the sole title holder to it.
He said the state never spent any money on that house.
But asked again if he was still residing there, Lusambo wondered why he would rent another house when he had his own house.
“And I spent a night at my house. Yes that’s where I spent my night,” Lusambo said, and when asked if that was where he would spend the night even tonight, he said: “Yes I will spend the night there.”
He insisted that that was his house and there was no way they could seize it, saying if they had something they should take him to court because that was his house.
Lusambo said he built that house for him to be sleeping in and did not build it for ACC, saying where was “ACC in 2013?”
But put to him on the status of the other house just adjacent to the one which has been seized which he resided in before moving to the other one after mega developments which seemed to be taking place there had been finalised, Lusambo said he rented the other property.
He said the ACC will be embarrassed and cause Zambians to pay him a lot of tax payers money in compensation, just for media stunts without concrete information.
“Shame upon them. This is a country. This is not a kantemba. And when you are doing that you have to first of all consider the implications after all this,” he said.
But queried on his claims that he never built any house during his tenure as minister and could only manage to show the unfinished flats which have been seized by ACC, Lusambo said “they are not even yet flats. They are just block and cement. Those are just super structures. They are not even yet flats.”
But put to him that there were construction works seen in the direction where the seized house stands some two-three years ago despite his claims that he built the property in 2013, Lusambo said the construction trucks were going towards his neighbor who was constructing at the time. He said in that area there were only two houses which have come up during the last two-three years, and that was the first house on the street and the other flats.
He said the other people who have built super structures have not been queried, but he was being queried just because he served in government, saying the fight against corruption should not be about fighting political opponents.
Lusambo said he has only been doing modifications to the house he built a long time ago.
But asked if he would be found at the house if this journalist went to the house even now since he claimed to still be there contrary to ACC claims, Lusambo insisted that he still had possession of his house.
“How can they even say they have seized my house without even knowing the features of my house? They don’t know where the gate of my house is. They don’t know. How can they say they have seized my house?” Lusambo asked. “But what I can assure you I will be home this evening. I was home and I saw the police officers who are guarding me, the four of them, two outside my yard, another one, another two they are guarding. And I am sleeping peacefully. I am sleeping peacefully”
He described the happenings against him as political persecution, saying the international community was disappointed with President Hakainde Hichilema that this was happening despite promising to restore democracy. He said President Hichilema wanted to silence all opposition in order to govern this country as a dictator.
Asked on the animals that were found on his property, Lusambo said the animals were not his, saying anyone could apply to ZAWA to hold the wild animals in captivity.
He said he even pays returns on the same animals.
Lusambo said he had interacted with presidents Frederick Chiluba, Rupiah Banda, Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu for him to have failed to have one or two things before he even joined government.
He said for instance if president Banda would ask him to go to campaign in some area, he would also give him money for him to buy food, but he would use initiative to buy blocks instead of beer since he did not even drink alcohol.
He said he regretted the fact that PF failed to address the issue of making appointments of heads of investigative agencies so that they were not appointed by the President. He said “under the next government which would be led by myself”, he would address this aspect so that the heads of DEC, ACC and the Inspector General of Police were appointed by the boards constitutionally put in place by parliament through a two-thirds majority.
Asked if he was implying going for the PF presidency by the phrase “under my government”, Lusambo said: “I am not saying PF. I am just saying under my government. We will cross the bridge when we get there.”
He said the public must demand to know why the ACC has still not brought up the 49 houses they claimed he had, and that people must also question claims that the seized house was valued at 22million in Chamba Valley when the splashiest of properties in more upmarket areas could struggle massively to go for that much.
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