MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday evening called for the arrest and prosecution of civil servants who leak State secrets to unauthorised persons.

Debating the 2010 Budget estimates for the Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS), Bangweulu MP Joseph Kasongo (PF) said that Gvernment officials should not leak State secrets because it undermined national security.

Mr Kasongo said people serving in Government who were appointees should be loyal to the appointing authority and avoid leaking information to strangers who were not privileged to have such information.

He said those who sold information to strangers and those who bought it should be punished for risking national security.

He said that the Government should increase funding to the ZSIS because it needed equipment and facilities to monitor the people who wanted to go to State House using short-cuts.

Livingstone MP Sakwiba Sikota (ULP) said that it was of concern that State secrets were easily given away and that the ZSIS should monitor to check who was leaking information.

Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa said that security agencies should double their efforts in investigating and arresting those who leaked state information.

Dr Mwansa who is acting leader of Government business said it was an offence under the Sate Security Act to release State secrets unless with the permission of the president.

He said that much of the K232 billion allocation to the ZSIS would be used to construct houses and new office blocks in various parts of the country.

And Parliament yesterday ratified the presidential appointment of Esau Chulu as commissioner of the Electoral Commissioner of Zambia (ECZ) and Patrick Mvunga as member of the Judicial Complaint Authority after the House reached a division.

The members were made to vote for or against the appointees and those that supported the appointment were 76 while those against were 37 with one member abstaining.