FORMER secretary to the treasury, Benjamin Mweene yesterday told a Lusaka magistrates' court he never owed the defunct Access Financial Services (AFS) because he did not entered into any agreement with the company.

Mweene said he had not dealt with AFS and did not in anyway benefit financially from the financial institution at the time he was secretary to the treasury.

This is in a case in which Mweene is jointly charged with former minister of Finance, Katele Kalumba, former permanent secretary, Stella Chibanda, and former chief economist, Bede Mpande.

Others are former director of budget, Boniface Nonde and AFS directors, Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe.

The seven are facing 21 counts of theft by public servant contrary to section 29 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act as read with section 41 of Act number 42 0f 1996.

He said he had bought a tractor from Livestock Services and it had nothing to do with any contracts he authorised.

"I was told by former Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) director general, Xavier Chungu to collect my tractor from Livestock Services. He never told me that the tractor was paid for by AFS because by the time I called him to ask about the payments, he informed me that he was in a hurry and we would discuss the matter later," Mweene said.

He said when the matter came up for continued defence before High Court deputy director of court operations, Edward Musona, sitting as magistrate that he did not know AFS had paid for his tractor until he was taken to court.

Mweene said in cross examination that Kabwe and Chungu stood no chance of benefiting from the contracts he signed to Systems Innovations and Wilban Incorporated because the agreements were meant to secure Government buildings and not benefiting individuals.

He testified that he did not authorise for money to go to AFS and he never sanctioned any money to pay for Chibanda's farm in Kapiri Mposhi.

Mweene said during his time as secretary to the treasury, funds were released to pay the two United States based security companies and not anyone else.

The matter continues today.

In another development, the case in which The Post Newspaper editor-in-chief Fred M'membe pleaded not guilty to one count of contempt of court for commenting on a matter in which his news editor, Chansa Kabwela is in court for allegedly circulating obscene materials failed to take off.

The matter came up yesterday for commencement of trial but could not take off because magistrate David Simusamba who is hearing the case was out attending a workshop.

Deputy divisional prosecution officer, Anderson Simbulyani told chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda who heard the matter that the case be adjourned to November 9, this year for commencement of trial.

M'membe, columnist Muna Ndulo and deputy editor-in-chief Sam Mujuda, were in August cited for contempt for commenting on Kabwela's case.