By Staff Reporter
Ministry of Information Media Director Thabo Kawana says the arrest of former first lady Esther Lungu must teach leaders to serve with integrity when in position of power, saying the President must not be blamed as he is not the one who told her to get the vehicles and park them in her yard.
Speaking on the arrest of Esther over the theft of motor vehicles, Kawana said it was actually folly for anyone to suggest that President Hakainde Hichilema was persecuting the Lungus following the arrest of Esther.
He said the police have stated clearly why they have arrested the former first lady.
“There are matters there. So unless somebody wants to tell me that ma galimoto aya yapezeka naba (these vehicles which have been found with the former) first lady came from the President. Then you can say why are they not arresting the owner of the vehicles but arresting the person who was simply given? Unless you are telling me that the money they are talking about came from the President then somebody will come and tell me yes, why are they not arresting the President the one who gave the former first lady the money?” Kawana asked, saying president Hichilema has nothing to do with the matters that are before the police. “This thing is clearly a matter of infringement of the law and like any other citizen she has been investigated and the police have found it fit to arrest her. So they have effected the arrest. What follows next is for them to prosecute isn’t it? And take her to court and prove their allegations.”
Kawana said he found it difficult to understand why everytime there was an arrest, people wanted to bring in the President.
“When they were getting these vehicles and packing them in their yard did they call the President? When they were getting money to give the niece did she call the President to say President Hakainde I am now giving my money to my niece to keep? So why should you start bringing in the President in these matters? Can we please give the man chance to run the country. To deal with issues that need to be dealt with. Those of us who also have issues before the law met us deal with issues before the law,” Kawana said.
He said there was a stage the President could come in and usually that stage “is when people are convicted and sent to prison then we can talk about pardoning each other.”
Kawana said from the government side it was very saddening that a person who was in a privileged position such as Esther has found herself in such a situation.
“And therefore a reminder to all of us that even when we are given an opportunity to serve the people we must do so diligently. We must do so with integrity. We must do so honestly. And we must avoid to infringe the law because nobody is above the law,” Kawana said. “And when the time comes, if we are found wanting we would be made to face the law like any other person.”
He said there were many people who were in custody today and “madam Lungu is not an exception.”
“She is a human being like any other human being and if she infringed the law she has to face the law. I think one clarion call about our administration is that we emphasise on the rule of law,” said Kawana, and that the rule of law was emphatic that no one is above the law. “So there is nothing like special prisoners or special suspects or special detainees. The law is the law.”
Police today arrested and charged former first lady Esther Lungu along with four others over alleged theft.
Esther, 66, is the wife of former President Edgar Lungu, who ruled the Southern African country from 2015 to 2021.
Danny Mwale, a police deputy spokesman, said Esther was jointly charged with James Phiri, 49, Lee Chisulo, 31, Kapambwe Lungu, 42 and Catherine Banda, 30, on three counts of theft of motor vehicles and a count of theft of a certificate of title for a property.
Esther has also been separately charged with possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
“All the suspects are currently detained in police custody,” Mwale told reporters.
Credit picture: Mwebantu
