By ADRIAN MWANZA
FORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Malanji is just being used as a scapegoat over the issue of the presidential Challenger as they are using innuendos to target former President Edgar Lungu, says Defence Minister George Mpombo.
Mr Mpombo said it was evident that they were indirectly trying to get to Mr Lungu by implicating his then minister of Foreign Affairs who was accused of using the Challenger jet which could only be used by the Head of State.
He challenged the investigative wings to give the details about the wild claims that had the capacity to malign Mr Malanji.
“We all know they are trying to use innuendos to implicate Mr Lungu and claim he was the mastermind but I must say it is very unfortunate because these are baseless allegations which do not even have facts,” Mr Mpombo said.
Mr Mpombo said the allegations had the potential to paint Mr Malanji black in the eyes of the public and that it was up to the investigative wings to provide evidence on the claims that he had laundered money using the presidential Challenger.
It is alleged that Mr Malanji on dates between December 28 last year and March 1 this year used the presidential jet to collect money believed to have been sent to the Zambian mission for buying an embassy building in that country.
But his lawyer, Mr Makebi Zulu said the claims were malicious and aimed at tarnishing his name in the public eye and would take the necessary action needed.
“There is a matter before court relating to Ankara and it does not suggest that he used the presidential Challenger at any point,” Mr Zulu said.
ENDS.
Malanji is just a scapegoat, ECL is the real target-Mpombo
