THEY’RE THIEVES
…Defiant MPs stealing public resources, passing illegal laws – CAAC
By Adrian Mwanza
MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) who are receiving emoluments after crossing to the United Party for National Development (UPND) are stealing public resources and will be held accountable for theft in future, says the Community Action Against Corruption (CAAC).
And New Focus Party (NFP) president Richwell Siamunene says the receiving of salaries and allowances by MPs who have crossed the floor is pure theft of public resources.
CAAC executive director Brighton Tembo said in an interview with The Mast yesterday those stealing public resources by continuing to receive salaries and other benefits they were not entitled to by law after resigning and crossing the floor in Parliament would be held accountable in the near future.
Tembo said his organisation was saddened by the unending lawlessness in Parliament, where members willingly broke the Constitution without remorse.
“It is unfortunate that MPs are committing an illegality with impunity because they know that they are protected by the current regime. It is clear that they are committing an illegality and this is tantamount to stealing. They are stealing public funds as they are no longer entitled to those benefits after they crossed the floor. And one day, they will be held accountable,” he warned.
Tembo reminded the current crop of MPs to learn from their colleagues in the last administration that those who arrogantly stayed in office after Parliament was dissolved had to pay back.
He said the day of reckoning would go after the defiant law breakers, warning that no MPwas immune from prosecution.
“I just want to urge these people that they should do the right thing, and in this case, it is to relinquish their positions and stop getting salaries because that is criminal. They are stealing,” Tembo said.
And NFP president Richwell Siamunene says it was wrong for the MPs to continue drawing salaries when they had crossed the floor.
Siamunene said the Constitution was clear and directive on the matter, warning that those MPs involved would pay back.
He said the law should be applied squarely, fairly and not only when it suits those in power.
“I want to urge those in authority to ensure they do the right thing and, in this case, follow the law and not this illegality we are seeing at the moment,” Siamunene said.
On Tuesday, Economic Front (EF) president Wynter Kabimba and Leadership Movement (LM) president Dr Richard Silumbe separately warned that all the MPs who have crossed the floor but were still sitting in Parliament, drawing salaries and allowances would be held accountable in future.
Speaking when he featured on 5FM radio station’s Burning Issues Kabimba said what the MPs were doing was illegal and they should not think that they were untouchable.
“You will be held accountable just like it was the case with the Patriotic Front (PF) members who stayed when Parliament was dissolved. They were getting emoluments. They were told to pay back because that was illegal,” he said.
Silumbe warned that by continuing to attend business in the House after crossing the floor the MPs were committing an illegality and creating a time bomb.
“Everything those people are doing in Parliament now is illegal. No product of any law will go unchallenged,” Dr Silumbe said.
