Zambian VP says former ministers to respond to illegal salaries after receiving judgment

LUSAKA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zambian Vice President Inonge Wina on Friday said former ministers who continued getting salaries after parliament was dissolved in 2016 will respond to the court's ruling that they repay the money after receiving the judgment.

The Constitutional Court recently maintained that the 64 ministers and their deputies must pay back the money they continued receiving after the dissolution of parliament because they had illegally occupied their positions.

The latest ruling followed an application by the former ministers in which they challenged the court's earlier ruling on the matter.

The Zambian vice president, who was answering questions in parliamentary during her weekly question and answer session, said the court judgment has not been served on both the attorney-general and the ministers.

Answering questions from lawmakers who wanted to know when the money will be repaid and what modalities have been put in place to ensure that the money was repaid, the Zambian vice president said it was premature for the ministers to act now because they were still awaiting the judgment.

"Once the judgment is delivered, the matter will be attended to," she said. Enditem