KAMBWILI TAKES LUNGU, PF TO DEC… accuses him, ruling party of money laundering activities

Chishimba Kambwili has petitioned the Drug Enforcement Commission to investigate President Edgar Lungu’s “slush fund” and PF money laundering activities. In his letter to the Drug Enforcement Commission titled “Complaint against the Patriotic Front party’s money laundering activities and criminal activities associated with Presidential Empowerment Fund” which he personally delivered yesterday, Kambwili said neither President Lungu nor the PF ran any known profitable business to be in a position to replenish the said slush fund which was routinely used to dish out huge sums of cash to unsuspecting members of the public.

In his letter, Kambwili informed the DEC Commissioner Alita Mbahwe that, as a complainant, he would ensure he was kept abreast as to the progress of the investigations against President Lungu and his slush fund.

“I am requesting your office to investigate the so-called Presidential Empowerment Fund which has now become President Lungu’s slush fund akin to one maintained by [late] former president [Frederick] Chiluba during his reign as President of the Republic of Zambia,” Kambwili stated.

“You may wish to know that the huge sums of money under this fund are not provided for by any law or legal authority. It is also common knowledge that President Edgar Lungu does not run any known profitable businesses to be in a position to replenish the said slush fund which is routinely used to dish out huge sums of cash to unsuspecting poor members of the public. As there is no law against investigating a sitting Head of State, I will from time to time follow up this matter in order to keep abreast as to the progress of the investigations against President Lungu and his slush fund, as a complainant.”

He further said the just ended set of by-elections held on the July 26 throughout the country left him in utter shock over the extravagant and opulent nature of campaigns launched and sustained by the PF.

“I write to your esteemed office to bring to your attention recent activities by the Patriotic Front party and its current leadership which in my opinion constitute money laundering activities. As you may be aware, the Patriotic Front party and many other political parties in Zambia do not run any businesses capable of generating sufficient income to support lavish campaigns and lifestyles for those who lead political parties in the Republic of Zambia. In this regard, the just ended set of by-elections held on the 26th of July 2018 throughout the Republic of Zambia have left me in absolute shock in so far as the extravagant and opulent nature of campaigns launched and sustained by the Patriotic Front Party. As earlier alluded to, this is a political party that does not run a single profit earning business in Zambia and yet the extravagant nature of campaigns launched by the party is only reminiscent of the MMD criminal regime which sustained its doomed 2011 campaigns through illegally obtained money from government coffers and from criminal elements who readily funded it in anticipation of reciprocal favours from the then government,” reads Kambwili’s letter in part.

He further stated that a quick drive through the streets of Lusaka told a story of extravagant and opulent campaigns led by a party which was clearly conducting illicit activities to “generate money to sustain its new found culture under H.E President Edgar Lungu of dishing out PF branded jump-suits, countless chitenges, illegal motor vehicle number plates, thousands of branded bicycles, children’s exercise books and cash to the poor electorate totaling millions of dollars.”

“This is completely unacceptable, especially during a time when our country is completely bankrupt,” Kambwili stated. “As a citizen of this country, I am compelled, like any other citizen, to conclude that the Patriotic Front party is abusing government coffers and is accepting illicit funds to fund its wildly extravagant campaigns. I must hasten to state at this juncture that I have not come to this conclusion lightly but after thorough investigations whose findings I am willing to provide to your office…. By copy of this letter, kindly accept my official complaint in so far as the above two issues. I look forward to your professional and prompt response in this matter.”

And speaking to journalists after he lodged in his petition, Kambwili said: “It cannot be business as usual, I think we need to be patriotic as Zambians.”
He said he decided to report the matter so that those involved could be investigated.

“We have heard so many contracts being overpriced and they are the same contracts supporting these laundering activities of the PF. I decided to come and report so that the DEC can investigate them and establish where they are getting so much money,” said Kambwili.

Kambwili arrived at DEC at 14:07 and was immediately ushered to the reception to log in his arrival.

He was later led to an office where he saw DEC deputy commissioner Kelvin Silwimba because the Commissioner, Elita Mbhawe, was in a meeting. In response, Silwimba said he would forward the complaint to the Anti-Money Laundering Unit to commence investigations and later get back to Kambwili.

Source: The Mast