Sylvester Mwale
14 May 2009
THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has smashed a racket in Lusaka in which more than K10 billion was stolen from the Ministry of Health and restricted K3 billion worth of property suspected to have been bought from the proceeds.
In another development, the ACC on Tuesday summoned former Clerk of the National Assembly, Mwelwa Chibesakunda on charges of corruption.
ACC public relations manager, Timothy Moono said the K10 billion racket was masterminded by a former Ministry of Health official who has since been moved to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
"The official has not yet been arrested but investigations have continued," he said.
Mr Moono said the official drew the money from the Ministry of Health account and diverted it to personal businesses.
Twelve vehicles, among them a Hummer H3 and two Mercedes Benz cars, believed to have been purchased using public funds, have been seized.
Other vehicles recovered were two Toyota Lexus, an X5 BMW, a Mitsubishi Challenger, a Ford Ranger, a Mazda Pickup and a 30-tonne Nissan UDI tipper truck.
The ACC has also placed Best Home Lodge in Roma Township and a house in Olympia Park under restriction pending the conclusion of the investigations.
Mr Moono, who led journalists to view the lodge yesterday, said the vehicles were seized from different people who revealed that they had been given by the former Ministry of Health official.
The syndicate, which has been going on since last year, was believed to have involved many people at the Ministry of Health apart from the official in question.
Mr Moono said even after the suspect had been relocated to the other ministry, he had continued to influence some members of staff at the Ministry of Health to siphon more money.
On Mr Chibesakunda, Mr Moono said he was summoned and interviewed on allegations of irregular transactions during his tenure of office at the National Assembly.
He said Mr Chibesakunda was not arrested but investigations had been launched against him and more people were expected to appear before the commission over the same matter.
And the ACC has refuted media reports that it was investigating newly appointed Zambian Ambassador to Japan, Wamundila Mbikusita-Lewanika.
Mr Moono said while it was true that there were some ACC investigations going on at the Ministry of Finance, no specific individual had been targeted.
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested two students from a college in Lusaka for trafficking in 31 sachets of cocaine weighing over 6.6 grammes.
DEC public relations and Press liaison officer, John Nyawali said in a statement that the arrested students were from Chawama and John Laing townships.
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