18 June 2009
THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) yesterday recorded a warn and caution statement from former Finance and National Planning minister Ng'andu Magande concerning the operations of the defunct Zambian Airways.
Acting DEC commissioner, Solomon Jere, and Mr Magande separately confirmed the development.
"We recorded a warn and caution statement from Mr Magande. It has to do with the operations of the defunct Zambian Airways which has been under probe for sometime now," Dr Jere said.
Mr Magande said in an interview in Lusaka that he was summoned to the DEC offices and appeared with his lawyer, Remmy Mainza, but declined to give further details.
"I appeared at DEC offices today and left around 13:00 hours, if you need any details please get in touch with DEC officials, I was merely speaking on behalf of other people," he said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions directed investigative wings probing the operations of the defunct Zambian Airways to extend their investigative sphere to other countries to avoid piecemeal conclusions.
Sources said the investigating team was pursuing the criminal charge of theft by agent against the airline's directors in contravention of Section 272 and 280 of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
The team was also investigating how the Zambian Airways in 2007 secured a US$5.5 million loan through a consortium of financial lending institutions, which consisted of Investrust Bank, Intermarket Banking Corporation and the Development Bank of Zambia.
Police have already recorded warn and caution statements from the directors of Zambian Airways in connection with the investigation into the operations of the airline.
Zambian Airways early this year suspended operations citing the high cost of aviation fuel and other operating costs for the decision.
Meanwhile, the wife of former Ministry of Health human resources officer Henry Kapoko, Mary was yesterday summoned by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for questioning.
Mrs Kapoko who was accompanied by her daughter and lawyer Kelvin Bwalya arrived at ACC offices in Lusaka at 14:20 hours and the questioning ended at 17:30 hours.
And the Lusaka High Court has stayed proceedings against Kapoko pending determination of the matter in which he has made a fresh application for bail with others charged with him.
High Court judge, Essau Chulu, who was supposed to deliver his ruling on whether to grant Kapoko bail or not ruled that the proceedings be stayed pending the outcome of a fresh bail application by Kapoko and seven others.
This is in a matter in which Kapoko had appealed against the magistrate's ruling to deny him bail on grounds that he had intentions to flee the country and that the State could not trust him.
Kapoko is facing one count of obtaining money by false pretences involving over K1.9 billion.
The judge said that it would be prejudicial for him to make a ruling in the matter involving Kapoko alone pending determination of another bail application in the magistrate court of the same man jointly charged with others.
The seven officials are all facing one count of theft by public servant contrary to section 272 and 277 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
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