PRESIDENT RUPIAH BANDA HAS SAID HE WILL NOT HAVE LUNCH WITH MR ANUJ KUMAR RATHI WHO ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WON THE AUCTION BID TO DINE WITH THE HEAD OF STATE.
THIS COMES AFTER THE PRESIDENT’S INSTRUCTIONS YESTERDAY TO MMD NATIONAL TREASURER MR SURESH DESAI NOT TO ACCEPT THE K260 MILLION MR RATHI PLEDGED AT THE MMD FUNDRAISING DINNER.
ACCORDING TO A NEWS STATEMENT PRESIDENT BANDA ISSUED THE DIRECTIVE TO MR DESAI YESTERDAY AFTER IT CAME TO HIS ATTENTION THAT THE WINNER OF THE AUCTION WAS MR RATHI WHO WAS LAST YEAR CONVICTED FOR CORRUPTION.
THE PRESIDENT INSTRUCTED MR DESAI TO RETURN THE MONEY IF MR RATHI HAD ALREADY HONOURED THE PLEDGE OR REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT IF HE HAD NOT DONE SO.
PRESIDENT BANDA SAID HE DID NOT RECOGNISE MR RATHI AT THE DINNER WHEN HE WON THE BID AND HIS NAME WAS NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED.
PRESIDENT BANDA WAS ONLY INFORMED OF MR RATHI THE FOLLOWING DAY AND HE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MR DESAI NOT TO ACCEPT THE MONEY.
THE PRESIDENT SAID THE MMD WOULD NOT ACCEPT MONEY PERCEIVED TO BE DIRTY OR FROM PEOPLE WITH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND.
THIS IS CONTAINED IN A PRESS STATEMENT AVAILED TO RADIO PHOENIX BY SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DICKSON JERE.
ENDS///////////
No comments:
Post a Comment