By Daily Revelation Reporter
Christine Phiri says if Frederick Chiluba’s immunity was lifted, including that of former president Rupiah Banda, despite him not being connected with anyone possessing K65 million, then there is nothing special about Edgar Lungu that his immunity should not be lifted.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Phiri, a UPND member and former diplomat to the federal Republic of Nigeria, said Paul Moonga’s argument that former president Lungu should not be investigated in order to protect the presidential institution did not make sense, saying he should speak like someone representing the former ruling party’s highest organ, not like someone “wamene achoka pa sanga.”
Phiri, the losing UPND candidate in Milanzi in the 2021 general elections, said she supports lifting the former president’s immunity, as even Chiluba and Banda had their immunities lifted, therefore Lungu should not be an exception.
“If Rupiah Banda who was innocent and didn’t even get involved in scandals of having a woman with K65 million…Chiluba also had his immunity lifted. So me I am calling for the lifting of the immunity. I am one of those who begged for that Nigerian oil when I served as diplomat in Nigeria. It was given for free by late president Yar’Ardua,” Phiri said, adding that she deemed Banda innocent since that was the only matter he was prosecuted for, which she said she had sufficient information about. “Paul Moonga is purely exhibiting his ignorance. No one is above the law. So president Lungu can be investigated and have his immunity lifted…if president Rupiah Banda’s immunity was lifted, if Chiluba’s immunity was lifted, why can’t Lungu’s be lifted.”
She said generally speaking, when leaders were in office they needed to conduct themselves with integrity, and should live with the knowledge that they would not reign in perpetuity.
“Not stealing, because when you leave that office things will follow you,” said Phiri.
She said apart from going after Lungu, state institutions must also go after his daughter Tasila, who former Lands permanent secretary Ndashe Yumba said had committed a crime by fencing a gazetted National Forest in Eastern Province.
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