The Constitutional court has concluded that 63 Ministers and Deputy Ministers who illegally overstayed in office in 2016 after Parliament was dissolved will collectively pay over K4.7 million.
In this matter, United Party for National Development Secretary General Steven Katuka and the Law Association of Zambia sued the Attorney General, Ngosa Simbyakula and 64 others in the Constitutional for illegally overstaying in office.
In an affidavit in support of assessment of amount due pursuant to the judgement dated 8th August 2016, Ministry of Finance Director, policy Research and Standards Fides Muntenga says the Ministers will together pay back K4.7 million.
Ms. Muntenga says emoluments paid to the former cabinet ministers and former Deputy Ministers have been dully computed for the period of May to July 2016.
She says the computation was arrived at after looking at the pay slips of the former cabinet ministers and former Deputy Ministers.
The state says the money that will be recovered from Ngosa Simbyakula and 62 others is for the period of May to July 2016.
Attorney General Likando Kalaluka in November 2019 asked the cosntitutional court to direct the Registrar of the Constitutional Court to assesses the amount of money that the Patriotic Front Ministers are required to pay back as directed by the court.
This was after the Court declined to re-open its judgement of August 8, 2016 in which it directed the ministers to pay back the allowances and salaries that they illegally acquired when they remained in office.
Constitutional Court Judge Enock Mulembe on behalf of others maintained that the ministers pay back the money as no leave was sought in asking the court to review its decision.
These thieves won’t pay back. Only 2021 change of govt will make them payback. Register to vote this October & make your voice heard in Aug 2021!
Thank you UPND for putting them in check, the only political party in Zambia that takes accountability of national resources so serious, your stewardship is second to non, you have shown your true kachemaship concerning this case, I have no doubt the national treasury under you kachemaship will be in safe hands.
These are ministers who stayed on in office despite the attorney general’s advice. Wht do we make of the attorney general’s role in this government? Does his advice matter?
The Computations should’nt ignore the Principle of Time Value of Money. This Money should have been repaid years back and therefore must attract statutory rate of interest per Annum. Since Salaries and benefits for Ministers and Deputy Ministers differ we don’t see how each Minister can pay the same amount? The amounts to be repaired should be adjusted and paid to Govt on a specific date together with interest earned. Failure to repay the amounts by a specific date should attract further interest and penalties.This is how debts are repaid conventionally.
The ministers who stayed in office illegally should in turn sue president Lungu who made them work for him, campaigned for him, using government resources illegally and supposedly won an election based on illegality. illegal acts always offer temporal comfort and when truth comes it unleashes shane, pain and disgrace.
They were advised by the best lawyer to stay on and now he is nowher to protect them. My advise to the current ministers and MPs is the ECL wont be there, it will be each one for him/herself
Where is their master thief to rescue them since they believed him?
They were told that Edgar Lungu is not law himself.
They must pay back as soon as possible and bravo to UPND and LAZ.
PF MUST GO!
We shall see whether they will pay and I’m sure after 2021 they will.
These thieves without shame.
PF must go!
I do not think that the accountant was correct in her computation of what the ministers and their duputies illegally earned during that period. First and foremost there is a variation in salaries between full and deputy ministers. Secondly what about allowances that were paid outside payroll? They should be refunded too. The amount computed for refund is hugely understated.
This is like a slap in the face of tax payers who work so hard and get nothing because all their money ends up on dodgy building projects in Swaziland and Lusaka .Zambian politics has gone to the dogs .
It’s peanuts
All those deputy ministers the Keith Mukata and the silly boy Greyford Monde will have to payback really laughable some of them dont even have K750 in their pocket …the court should have added interest and inflation. Only thieves like Chitotela and Chilufya will pay this by cash.
THanks Zambia , this is all wrong people , this should even have interest on all and also that there where all allowances
not mentioned here in the computation , fuel ,including the allowances and salaries for the staff that they wrongly used while in office wrongly ,as
all these costs should be part of their resources misuse and that is why they want Bill 10 to be implemented , so that these ilegalities are legalized
and more
Where is their incompetent lawyer boss…this weekend he is staying home no working visits around the country as he is cowering from media after the Rwanda debacle…the utterly useless coward sending his ministers on Presidential Jet to sort out his vomit in Rwanda. What type of a lawyer is this who cant defend himself?
Lungu should be very ashamed of being a lawyer who misleads his ministers into illegal overstays. The bar association of Zambia should deregister Lungu.
The law is the law. If that has been ruled then the ministers will comply and pay. Simple, there is nothing sinister here. The law has been explained and a decision has been made by a competent body so now the ministers can act as stated. This is why we have judicial bodies in our country. Are opposition going to use this for campaign? Ati vote for us because pf ministers have to pay back salaries kikiki this is why they are expert losers
Liar
Ministers won’t pay anything out of pocket though, the government will pay.
Look at the silly UK based Impostor who has no memory typing away his folly from his council flat…did Lazy Lungu and his ministers even ask how much they were going to pay back when the Concourt carried out its judgement? No they refused to pay …its BUFFOON CK who asked how he was supposed to pay back. If the opposition does not capitalize on wastage of taxpayers funds then they are not worthy to be in opposition
No consequences for government officials who choose to disobey the law in spite of availability of legal advice from their own attorney general. I suppose these are national values and principles.
From 2016. What about the interest? This is our money ka?
The law has spoken. Please pay back before the bailiffs starts making the rounds.
Although we sympathise with PF for taking that action at the time of great change and turbulence in the country to maintain a working legal environment; it has been decided as not within Constitutional meaning.
Before too much celebration and people giving more meaning to this than intended; it’s worth to know globally, govts from time to time do challenge the Constitutional meaning of events or circumstances that require clarity. It was a good checks and balance action by UPND. In the circumstances of the time, it was necessary for that action by PF.
Poor headline. It should read: Ex-Ministers ordered to pay back K75,000 that each of them stole
This time they will still use donated covid funds and tax payers money. Next year after they lose an investigative audit should be carried out so that it reveals how much each should pay again. And after payment prison. Law makers are not supposed to be breaking laws deliberately. For that they deserve extra punishment than just repayments.
Tarino are you menstruating? You seem on edge with me today
IS PRESIDENT LUNGU A LAW GRADUATE? HE WAS THE ONE WHO DECREED THAT THE MINISTERS CONTINUE IN OFFICE. HOW WILL PEOPLE LIKE KAMBWILI WHO HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING OF BEING BROKE PAY BACK? WHAT ABOUT THOSE IN JAIL? THIS IS QUITE NERVE-WRECKING!!!
All these PF crooks need to pay this money back with interest. Plus it should be adjusted for inflation, since they stole it four years ago. So that K75,000 must be multiplied by 7, in my estimation. So make these PF crooks pay K525,000 each, or go to prison for 10 years.
UNFORTUNATELY THEY WILL GET MONEY FROM THE SAME GOVERNMENT THEY OWE AND PAY BACK. THE K75,000 IS PEANUTS. THESE GUYS MAKE LOTS OF MONEY FROM SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES, NOT TO TALK ABOUT LEGAL AND ILLEGAL DEALINGS.
Too little amounts. Prime Interest should be added to the total. They can’t have free money.
Me I am wondering here!!!!!! a minister is paid K25,000.00 per month…..
Then we need a serious audit on the riches the ministers have.
Where do the these guys get the money to buy big farms, lodges and real state businesses???
WHY SHOULD KAMBWILI PAY BACK .HE WAS JUST ORDERED TO REMAIN IN OFFICE ,THE ONE WHO ORDERED HIM WILL PAY FOR POOR KAMBWILI .IF THAT IS A TRAP TO GET HIM BACK TO PF ,I THINK IT WILL NOT WORK AT ALL.
KAMBWILI WILL NOT PAY HE WAS JUST ORDERED TO REMAIN IN OFFICE, THE ONE WHO ORDERED HIM WILL PAY FOR POOR KAMBWILI. IF THAT IS THE TRAP FOR KAMBWILI TO GO BACK TO PF ,IT WILL NOT WORK.
How is it even possible to illegally stay in office