Former chief justice Matthew Ngulube yesterday appeared before the task force probing corruption under the Chiluba regime.

Sources close to the task force disclosed that justice Ngulube was accompanied by his lawyer, former legal affairs minister Vincent Malambo.

The source said justice Ngulube was asked about, among other things, the US $168,000 he received from former president Frederick Chiluba in suspicious circumstances over a period of three years stretching from 1998 to last year.

The task force, chaired by Director of Public Prosecutions Mukelabai Mukelabai, comprises members of the Zambia Police, the Anti-Corruption Commission, Drug Enforcement Commission, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the Zambia Intelligence Services.

The source further revealed that ZRA have since written to justice Ngulube asking him to file tax returns from 1998 to December last year. “We sent several call outs to the former chief justice before he finally appeared today (yesterday),” the source said.

“He was against the idea of appearing before the task force at its base. He wanted us to interview him from his home but we refused, we just put our foot down.

How can he dictate terms when he is a subject of investigations? Much as this is embarrassing for his status, we also have a job to do and we are expected to do that job fairly and without fear or favour.”

Last week, former foreign affairs minister Katele Kalumba also appeared before the task force in the company of his wife Lumba. Chiluba’s former economic adviser Donald Chanda also appeared and had the Nissan Patrol which he had ‘bought’ from the government seized just as did Chiluba’s former press aide Richard Sakala.

Amos Malupenga, The Post (Lusaka), August 7, 2002