Former Secretary to the Treasury, James Mtonga today testified in the Lusaka magistrate court that he regrets having received money obtained fraudulently during his service as a civil servant in government of Zambia.
Mr. Mtonga, 60, who retired from the civil service in 2003, was testifying in a case in which former Finance Minister, Katele Kalumba, former Finance Permanent Secretary Stella Chibanda, former Chief Economist Bede Mpande, former Secretary to the Treasury Ben Mweene, former Director for budget, Boniface Nonde and two former Access Financial Services limited Directors Faustine Kabwe and Aaron Chungu are charged of corrupt practices.
They are all accused of having signed, facilitated and authorized the release of money from the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO) Zamtrop account, a transaction which resulted into an overpayment to Systems Innovations and Wilbein Incorporation, the two companies which were contracted by government to install security gadgets in key government institutions in the 1990s.
He said he recalls going on a Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) sponsored trip to London on a ZCCM privatization negotiations mission.
He told acting High Court deputy Registrar, sitting as Principal Resident Magistrate (PRM) Edward Musona that he went to London for the same mission on two occasions, both of which were fully paid for by ZCCM.
Mr. Mtonga said during examination-in-chief led by state prosecutor, Mutembo Nchito, that although the trips were sponsored by ZCCM, he received a total of US$ 7,000 from former Director General of the Zambia Security Intelligence Service (ZSIS) Xavier Chungu.
He told the court that the money was relayed to him by the then Zambia National Commercial Bank London branch manager, Bridget Kaluba.
He said upon his return to Zambia, he confirmed to Chungu that he had received the money which the latter sent to him while in London.
Mr. Mtonga explained that he later learnt that the money which was given to him by Chungu was fraudulently obtained, saying “I regret having received the funds”.
He said at the time he received the money, he regarded it as a good gesture from Chungu and not anything else.
He further said he was paid the money at the time the Zambian government was under pressure to pay the two American companies the debts owed to them.
Mr. Mtonga said at one time, the two companies threatened to sue government in an event that it defaults the contracts entered into.
Mr. Mtonga was once jointly charged with the seven accused persons but he, together with former Auditor General Fred Siame, was released after the state entered a nolle prosequi in their case.
The matter has been adjourned to March 17th this year for continued trial.
All Lusaka Times Pundits,
We appreciate your solidarity over the Chinese employers.As we post this article, 500 of us miners our jobs are on the chopping board. You guys well informed of our dilemma and always giving us ideas to take on these Chinese employers here in Zambia, could you come to our aid please? As from tomorrow, we will have no jobs, no income, no hope for getting one ever meanwhile our kids are in schools expecting us to pay.Could you guys show solidarity in kind too.
Indiciplined workers deserve to be fired, A strike and a riot at two different things. How do workers go on a riot becuase they heard a rumour that the Chines will be leaving for a Holiday, Why did they not ask their representatives to clarify with the Management. What is wrong is wrong. The staff were wrong to beat up the chines and damage company property over rumours. Having said this, not every one should be fired but those who bear the greatest responsibility.
The Chambishi workers deserve being fired. There are civilized ways of solving industrial relations. Let them go and get jobs from those that have been encouraging them. Zambians seem to think China is investing in Africa only. What China is investing in the USA, UK and Europe is huge compared to the penauts in Zambia. Zambia lacks capital that is why it is poor. Lots of countries that are developed have no minerals, Korea, Malaysia, Austria, Sweden Etc. What they have is technology and skills. Zambians who are against China are racists. We do not hear any complaints about American UK investments. Just because these are bazungus. If Zambians have money to invest the power generation sector
Ba cheese, ala twebeniko, what these civilized ways of solving problems are? The people of chambeshi have shown you one method of solving a problem vividly. Now its time for you to show them that actually you should have solved this problem like this. This is the type of thinking i want from all the people blindly condeming the chambishi workers who have since been fired. Lets try to do a bit of human psychology and understand what normally goes through the mind of a person under stress. These people i believe were talking through thier representatives and i bet they saw no results. Has it ever occured to you that the so called normal channel of negotiation does not work?
As the lecturers and students at the two universities if at all the normal channel has ever produced a good fruit. The so called civilized way of solving industrial unrest does not exist because the management will always delay until the workers get tired of waiting and resort to violent acts which the management quickily uses as an execuse to tell the workers that they did not follo the right channel so they have lost out and no negotiations or ultimately they are fired as is the case in Chambishi. Why should the workers be the only one to uphold the law yet the management is busy breaking it by not fulfilling the workers conditions of service? Twelenganye bane pantu chili pamunobe next its
# 1-5 this particular forum is not about the Chinese employers but about a man given $ 7000.00 and believes it was just a good gesture. So please find the right topic to discuss the chinese issue, for now we would like to enjoy the comments on the comedy by mr james mtonga and the bunch of clowns
Wat z this Chambeshi nonesense doing here.Thr z an article 4 the same go post thr.
Kalumba & gang aint supzd to walk the streets of lsk freely.
Iwonder why a 60 year old man would imagine that a gift of $ 7000.00 would be for a good gesture. This is a lame excuse and should be dismissed with contempt it deserves.James is a thief trying to get out of situation. He should be made to pay back that money regrets are not enough
This Chambishi nonsense is self inflicted, I hate to tell you that Sata told you so but he did so lets nit even complain or discuss it. The circus in court is unbelievable, how can a secretary to the treasury claim he thought the money was for goodwill. where on earth is a civil servant supposed to be paid for goodwill? This Mtonga chap must pay back that money. That Kalumba criminal should be put behind bars, we are sick and tired of MMD shielding criminals while preaching anti corruption verses.
The system pa Zed sucks. I hope this Mtonga man was not given his pension.Is this the level of competence we have of Zambians handling our financials? Indeed how does someone give you $ 7000 and you claim it was goodwill. Was nt this man paid by his empolyers?
A shame indeed, is this how our contry is being run? jAMES MUST PAY BACK THE MONEY. Katele must be jailed and should be removed from public office.
Gents. Lets not hold our emotions here.The case is in the courts, let the law take its course.Mtonga has turn state witness so he will tell the truth. as for choocks are not for him now.
Gents. Lets not hold our emotions here.The case is in the courts, let the law take its course.
It is a pity that James should describe $7000 a good gesture. In the right frame of mind, one would question why and where such a huge amount of money was coming from. He should, in my view, have reported about this ‘gift’ to the relevant investigation wings long before now. Short of that, he knew what was going on. James will do us the honour if he paid back that money with interest. Full stop.
Even yuu sa, wouldu u ask ifi mani was comingi into your mouf? Don’ti pretend thati you cannoti tek mani weni yoar family is starving.
#15 Zimya Neighbour. Accepting such gifts knowingly. yes is accepting to answer charges later. I still maintain that James’ conscience was clear at the time he was receiving those monies. Hence his regret for that action.
# 15 if you are public worker you are not supposed to accept such a gift even if your family was starving.
Dickson,rightly put, regrets alone are not enough, he needs to pay back the money or he should be charged with an offence.we tired of the circus and clowns getting away with murder just because they have turned state witnesses
these guys were dishing out state funds at will.Poor Mtonga got 7 pin…….(so he says !!) how much did all the others get?? theft,misuse of public funds deserves no sympathy!!
Ya ba, 7 pin when others were getting alot. too bad for the big man. He needs to be jailed for his stupidity. i think he realised how cheap he became that is why he is spilling the beans.
Bwana mtonga pay back our money or else we shall launch a civil case against you. we have that right as citizens
Great to hear how different people think!
Mtonga is an educated chap. He should have sensed that something was fishy with the 7 pin. Let him pay back the money with interest!
Me I also recieved 50 pin (US)but I though it was just mbasela, do you think I should declare it? the only problem is that I have spent it on hoes and clothes, now how do I start explaining to my wife
A plunderer is a plunderer!too bad for Mtonga..Chungu is enjoying the luxuries of France.
The government has what is called a government orders handbook (guidelines of civil servant’s conduct and conditions etc). The revised version (1999) is explicitly clear on corruption, whether its accepting gifts or money, if a civil servant is in the line duty. IT’S NOT ALLOWED, period So for a super civil servant to say he thought its a good gesture is pretty lame in my opinion. But since he is no longer bound by the government code, let him just repay the money. I hope the lawyers point this out. Hey, where is Legal Expert, mayb he can clarify. LOL
James is another thief.i think he is running away from real issues.7 pin US a good will?at the age of 60 he is even cheating.please i appeal to levy that this james should be arrested.
if the “corruption” fight was never pioneered by LPM and his group would we have ever known the extent of the gymnastics at play during the rule of FTJ??? like many Zambians i wish this admirable ideal instigated by LPM had resulted in more high profile convictions.
The main problem is with our OP. What exactly is their mandate in a democracy? I notice that as soon as elections are to be held, they crank up their misinformation activities about those cndidates deemed to be against mmd. Surely this is not their realm of actions. The issue of giving money to Mtonga is a crime. What entitles the OP to start dishing money to anybody they want? What was the motive for this action?
I think that zambian intelligence must be cleaned up. There are too many bad eggs in the system and corrupt politicians such as chiluba, Sata, Mwanawasa are the only beneficiaries of their corruption.
#27,the intelligence services world wide have this “responsibility”!! the CIA use illicit funds (to avoid scrutiny from Congress)to fuel wars,corrupt leaders and keep the economic balance in the favour of the West!! You can NEVER clean up an intelligence service comrade…..should you try they will “clean you” in one way or another!!
#27,one intelligence service is in the middle of scandalous allegations that they “erased” a divorced member of a royal family to ensure no siblings of a different faith resulted from her sexual gymnastics. the terms of reference for an intelligence service can only be understood if you are one of them!! leave them alone and they “may” ignore you too !!!
WHat “good gesture”.if the trip was sponsored by zccm , why should you recieve money from xavier chungu.there is something he is hiding. the amount of money is neither here nor there its the principle.a man of integrity would have refused such unaccounted for “gifts” from the state coffers.
Hey guys….leave the courts to deal with these matters. We Zambians are all hurt bt do not take out your blame on one man. Give Mr Mtonga a chance to tell us what was going on….if he was giving so much money, i dont think he should have being here in Zambia. We all knw the Culprits…..let the so called strong government put them behind bars…..
You people,I don’t think this is the right time or way to start blaming someone for this.We are all not sure,No one was there or no one knows the truth,only God knows.It’s true we leave eevrything to the court,than using all those words & blaming someone for no apparent reasons.Thou shall not judge,leave it to the court.We all know the right people who were involved,Remember these people only sighned for them.Am also bitter about it but am not gonna point a fingure at Mr Mtonga.The truth shall come out & at the moment we sholud all work on waiting patiently for the truth,than making or coming out with all these conclusions.Come on guys be for real.It’s not yet over,we are still going,suferin
Seriously? This is over US$7,000? Is that the kind of money we are wasting tax payers money on?
It’s just a waste of time to blame people when you know nothing,Only god knows the truth and only him will Judge..What one reaps shall he or she sow.Who are you and we to say someone is a cheat or lier,what do we know?We should not just hear say but wait..the truth always comes out.We cannot start calling people names,If I worked for the government or anywhere and instructed by my boss to do something,I would do that.How do I know it’s the right thing to do or not?So the person to blame is my boss and not me..so people lets not just talk and put accross insults..lets imagine ourselves in such a situation and think we are angels when we are not..lets face reality and God knows we ain’t perfect.We Should all be thankful that the truth come out and hope Corruption comes to an end.