Hichilema urged to sack Drug Enforcement Agency boss over claims of incompetence

The Patriotic Front (PF) Vice President, Given Lubinda, has advised President Hakainde Hichilema to sack Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General, Nason Banda, and his officers for raising false alarm on the seizure of suspected gold.

On Monday, the Commission announced the seizure of 602 pieces of suspected gold weighing 127.2 kilogramme, five pistols, seven magazines, 126 rounds ammunition and equipment used for measuring gold.

Mines and Minerals Development Minister, Paul Kabuswe, on Tuesday however clarified that the suspected gold that was seized by DEC was actually copper, tin and zinc.

Addressing Journalists in Lusaka on Wednesday, Lubinda said Banda and his officers must be sacked on grounds of incompetence because they had raised a false alarm on the nation.

“Zinc and copper are of no value to be airlifted hence the need to ensure that the matter is addressed with the urgency it requires and culprits must be brought to book,” he said.

Lubinda further called for the arrest of the person engaged in the over US$5 million scandal following an operation that was conducted at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka by the DEC.

“All the law enforcement agencies are at State House, DEC, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Police, the Office of the President are all under his watch so he must investigate and tell us quickly the people involved in this gold gate scandal,” he said.

He said Kabuswe had no mandate to clear the matter which was being handled by the anti-graft agencies such as DEC.

Lubinda questioned why the plane was parked at the Presidential pavilion and who was involved in it, stating that Zambians have a lot of questions which have not been answered.

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