Lusaka – Zambian investigators on Thursday arrested the ex-head of postal services and two former directors for allegedly diverting more than $20 million from a UK-backed social fund, the anti-graft agency said.
Britain in September 2018 suspended aid payments to the southern African country over concerns of alleged fraud and corruption by the government of ex-president Edgar Lungu.
The development minister at the time, in charge of a social payments programme which Britain said had been abused, was sacked one day after the aid suspension.
She appealed a two-year jail sentence.
On Thursday, the former director of the Zambia Postal Services, Macpherson Mumbi Chanda, was charged and arrested along with two ex-directors for “corrupt acquisition of funds” from the same programme between January 2017 and December 2018.
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“The trio, in their capacities as Postmaster General, Director of Finance and Director of Operations… are said to have unlawfully diverted social cash transfer funds” amounting to $20.9 million, Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement.
The accused have not yet commented on the charges.
They have been released on police bond and face a minimum jail sentence of five years if convicted.
After Britain’s move, Lungu vowed to investigate the get to the bottom of the matter.
Aid payments resumed a few months later.
But his successor Haikainde Hichilema has taken a stronger stance against alleged state corruption since his landslide victory in August pools.
Two former ministers were arrested and charged with graft earlier this week, while the state-appointed provisional liquidator of a major copper mine is facing trial for theft worth nearly $1 million.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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