‘Why is graft convict Nevers still roaming streets?’
By Tony Nkhoma
THE opposition Tonse Alliance has urged the Judiciary to speedily conclude the appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against the absolute discharge of former Zambian High Commissioner to Canada Nevers Mumba by a magistrates court after it convicted him of corruption in 2018.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Tonse Alliance spokesperson Sean Tembo said President Hakainde Hichilema was fast-tracking appeals of political enemies and jailing them while ignoring Mumba’s bail pending appeal for so many years.
Tembo said Mumba deserved to be in jail on his corruption conviction and should not be allowed to be roaming the streets and harassing his critics.
“As Tonse Alliance, we also wish to take this opportunity to challenge President Hakainde Hichilema and his Judiciary to explain to the nation the formula that is used by the High Court to hear and determine appeals of those that are convicted by the subordinate court,” he said.
Tembo challenged Hichilema to explain to the nation his rationale for fast-tracking the bails pending appeal of only members of the opposition leaving out his “praise singers” like Mumba.
“We ask because it is a matter of public record that Mr Hichilema’s friend and political ally Dr Nevers Mumba is a convicted felon who is out on bail pending appeal, having been convicted of corruption and sentenced to about two years imprisonment more than four years ago,” he said.
Tembo wondered that Mumba, now a close friend, political ally and dedicated defender of Hichilema, had not served his sentence, yet his appeal had not been heard by the High Court allowing him to continue to roam the streets on bail pending appeal.
He said to the contrary, appeals of Hichilema’s political adversaries such as Dr Chishimba Kambwili and others had been fast-tracked.
Mumba, leader of the MMD and member of the UPND Alliance, was arrested on January 8, 2013 by the ACC and charged with three counts of abuse of office pertaining to his failure to comply with public procurement procedures while he served as Zambia’s envoy in Canada.
Lusaka magistrate Joshua Banda found the former tele evangelist and pastor guilty on September 12, 2018.
However, Banda let Mumba off the hook with a mere slap on the wrist by gifting him an absolute discharge instead of a custodial sentence after the outspoken pastor’s moving mitigation.
But the ACC appealed against the discharge shortly after seeking a custodial sentence.
Mumba is still on bail pending the outcome of that appeal in the Ndola High Court.
