Zambia loses funding to health sector owing to corruption

By John Chola – 17/06/10

The Global Fund is suspending more than US$300 million in aid to Zambia’s health sector.

This follows concerns about corruption.

Leader of the opposition Sakwiba Sikota, Parliamentarians and government officials say the freeze of funding will affect Zambia’s fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

It is just after a year since Sweden and the Netherlands suspended US$33 million aid to the Ministry of Health owing to a missing US$5 million.

Transparent International Zambia has said President Rupiah Banda lack seriousness in the fight against corruption.

The European Union has also frozen aid intended for road construction because of concerns about rampant corruption.

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Post Newspapers Editor in Chief Fred M’membe convicted.

By John Chola – 2/06/2010

Editor of Zambia’s Post newspapers, Fred M’membe has been convicted for contempt of court.

Lusaka magistrate David Simusamba convicted M’membe and the newspaper’s human resource officer, Reuben Phiri, Wednesday morning.

This is in the case where M’embe was charged with contempt of court arising from an article authored by US-based Zambian Professor of law Muna Ndulo titled ‘The Chansa Kabwela case: A Comedy of Errors.’

Sentence for M’membe has been reserved for 4th June 2010.

M’membe has pleaded for mercy to the court under mitigation after which the court will sentence him.

Chansa Kabwela was cleared of pornography charges.

Magistrate Charles Kafunda said prosecutors had failed to prove its case against the editor of the most influential paper in the southern African country.

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Zambia’s former President Chiluba dismisses Katele’s conviction as witch-hunt.

By John Chola – 31/05/2010

Zambia’s former President Frederick Chiluba says all the corruption allegations against him and his former officials are a political witch-hunt.

Chiluba has charged that courts in Zambia are just being used to achieve this political goal by his enemies.

However, many political activists and non governmental organizations say the conviction of Chiluba’s former Finance Minister who is also ruling MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba and three others is evidence that the former president is guilty.

Chiluba, speaking through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, said the fact that Kalumba and others have appealed mean that they are still contending their innocence.“Dr Chiluba has stated that all these corruption allegations against him and his officials were a political witch-hunt against him and his officials. They were never founded on corruption allegations, they were founded in politics not in corruption allegations,” Mwamba said.

Chiluba has cried foul that his administration did not see the same vigour to investigate corruption allegations in first republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s government as well as late Levy Mwanawasa’s government.

Citizen Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda says: “The conviction of Katele and the group is a clear evidence that Chiluba should have been convicted”.
He said: “It’s enough evidence to the public and a lay person that Dr. Chiluba should have been convicted and that he is guilty.”

Chiluba has been acquitted of looting public funds while in office.

On Wednesday, a Lusaka magistrate’s court handed Kalumba, former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, defunct Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL) directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu five-year sentences each for corruption.

The court also jailed former finance ministry chief economist Bede Mphande, former finance ministry director of budget Borniface Nonde and former secretary to the treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene for five years but suspended for 24 months. Kalumba, Chibanda, Chungu and Kabwe were on Friday granted K500 million bail each pending appeal.

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Corrupt top former Ministry of Finance officials and others jailed.

By John Chola – 26/05/2010.
A Lusaka Magistrate has convicted former Minister of Finance and ruling MMD national Secretary Katele Kalumba, former directors of defunct Access Financial Services, Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu and others for corruption.

The court has sentenced Katele Kalumba to five years imprisonment with hard labour.

Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu have also been jailed for five years with hard labour.

The same court has given Borniface Nonde, Bede Mpande and professor Benjamin Mwene, all former senior Ministry of Finance officials, suspended sentences saying they paid back the money.

Lusaka High Court Deputy Director Edward Musona sitting as magistrate also found guilty Former Finance Permanent Secretary Stella Chibanda.

This is in a case where the convicted former Ministry of finance top officials were charged with corruption involving payment of US$ 20 million to a US security firm System Innnovations And Wilben Incorporation.

Kalumba was convicted on one charge but acquitted on two while Benjamin Mwene was also convicted on one charge.

Borniface Nonde has been convicted on three charges.

Stella Chibanda has been convicted on four out of nine charges.

Those convicted have since been granted bail.
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