Former Zambian ministers dispute court ruling on paying back money

Former Zambian ministers on Thursday revealed that they have not accepted the decision of the Constitutional Court which ordered them to pay back money they accrued in salaries and allowances during a period they continued in office when the parliament was dissolved.

On Aug. 8 this year, the Constitutional Court ordered the ministers and their deputies who had remained in office after the dissolution of parliament in May to vacate and to also pay back money they had accrued in salaries and allowances during the period they were illegally in office.

Stakeholders have since asked President Edgar Lungu to act and ensure that the ministers start paying back the money.

But Stephen Kampyongo, who was Minister of Local Government and Housing, said the former ministers have written to the Attorney-General to revisit the court's ruling.

He said the former ministers were finding it difficult to accept the court's ruling hence the decision to engage the Attorney-General to pursue the matter further, according to Hot FM radio.

Meanwhile Chishimba Kambwili, who was Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said he had no problems in paying back the money but indicated that the former ministers do not agree with the court's ruling.

He said it was unfortunate that the court ruled that the former ministers were in office illegally when parliament was dissolved while they were rendering a service to the people of Zambia. Endit