Govt studying ‘PayBackTheMoney’ ramification-Lubinda

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Justice Minister Given Lubinda says enforcement of a Constitutional Court ruling that found his Predecessor Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula, the Attorney General and 96 ministers wanting will be done once Government concludes studying legal ramifications.

Mr. Lubinda says it is a mark of selfishness for one to pledge to repay or refuse to do so as  the Constitutional Court action taken is on a group and not necessary an individual litigation on a Zambian citizen or public official.

Mr. Lubinda, who is serving as Patriotic Front (PF) Kabwata Member of Parliament in Lusaka Province reaffirmed that as a group they had reached consensus to wait for a collective Government position.

Last year the Constitutional Court ordered former cabinet ministers to pay back to the national treasury the salaries and allowances they got whilst Parliament was dissolved.

The Court also ruled that the Attorney General had no right to represent private persons in a case of this nature.

In August 2016 the Constitutional Court had ruled that Ministers and their Deputies were in office illegally following the dissolution of Parliament in May 2016.

The Ministers and their Deputies were ordered to pay back all the salaries and other allowances they illegally accrued.

Meanwhile Electoral expert MacDonald Chipenzi challenged the Secretary to the Treasury to tell the nation exactly how much Ministers that occupied office illegally have paid back so far of the public funds they owe.

Mr. Chipenzi expressed disappointment that the Secretary to the Treasury and the Accountant General have remained mute over the public funds former Ministers need to pay back.

He has noted that this is especially that the nation has not in the first place been told exactly how much is involved.

But Justice Minister Given Lubinda has reiterated a need to allow thorough interrogation of how the treasury will implement the judgment, to allay fears that the rights of the 96 ministers could be infringed on account of the intricate Constitutional matter.

Mr. Lubinda says he will equally be guided by decisions of the Zambian Government as the matter at hand involving the 96 ministers and Zambia's Ambassador to the United States Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula is legally intricate.

Following last year’s ruling that President Edgar Lungu constitutionally stumbled by allowing ministers to remain in office after dissolution of parliament, pressure has been mounting on the 96 ministers and others to repay the money in a campaign dubbed Payback Public Money.


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