The Lusaka Magistrates Court has sentenced seven Ministry of Home Affairs accountants and an immigration officer to a total of 195 years imprisonment with hard labour for theft and money laundering involving K1.6 billion.
The money was meant for civil servants’ housing allowances.
Lusaka High Court deputy director of operations Edward Musona sentenced Bonaventure Chembe (115 years), Kenneth Hamusonde (15 years), Edward Kombe (15 years), Nathan Mwanza (10 years), Edward Bwalya (10 years), and Christopher Sinkala (10 years).
Others are Lyambai Kambowe (10 years) and Lloyd Mudenda (also 10 years).
Mr Musona said the convicts will serve five years on each count and the sentences will run concurrently, meaning that each of them will only serve five years.
“Looking at the amount of money that was stolen and the fact that the convicts deprived rightful beneficiaries of their money, there is need for me to prescribe a deterrent punishment,” Mr Musona said when sentencing the convicts.
He also ordered forfeiture of four vehicles seized from Kombe namely a Nissan Sunny registration number AAM 6839, unregistered Nissan double cab, a Fuso Fighter truck, and a Toyota Sprinter registration number ABE 6463.
Mr Musona also ordered the forfeiture of a Toyota Corsa registration number ABE 2036 seized from Hamusonde.
He, however, acquitted Shadreck Mtonga, Jimmy Lozani, and Raphus Sinyangwe for lack of evidence against them.
In his judgment, Mr Musona said having analysed the whole evidence, he was satisfied that all accused persons were employees of the Ministry of Home Affairs, some based at the headquarters and others in provinces, when they were arrested in 2005.
He said the Ministry of Home Affairs was paying its employees housing allowances at different rates and that the money was sent to provinces through bank transfers, except in a few isolated instances.
Mr Musona said most witnesses who testified said it was not right for accountants to travel to Lusaka to collect and cash cheques, and then go back to their respective stations with cash.
He said Chembe, who was in charge of salaries at the ministry’s headquarters, originated most of the cheques involved in the theft and some accused persons confessed having collected and cashed the cheques.
Mr Musona said Chembe admitted that the correct procedure of remitting the allowances to provinces was through bank transfers and that provincial accountants were not supposed to travel to Lusaka for the purpose of collecting cheques.
He said most payment schedules had names of intended beneficiaries who did not sign against their names to acknowledge receipt of the money.
Mr Musona said in some cases some intended beneficiaries got their allowances but others did not.
He said some of the purported recipients were called to testify and they denied receiving any allowance.
Mr Musona said since Chembe was in charge of salaries, it was his duty to ensure that money reached intended beneficiaries but did not make any follow-up.
He said this was not mere negligence on Chembe’s part, but it was guilt intent.
“I have no doubt in my mind that money was stolen and I am satisfied that Bonaventure Chembe participated in the theft. He was the mastermind and a hub on which all operations of theft were anchored,” he said.
On Hamusonde, Mr Musona said the convict admitted collecting and cashing cheques meant for housing allowances and his payment schedules depicted names of beneficiaries but none of them got the money.
He said all the loans and advances Hamusonde got during the period of thefts were just gimmicks to disguise the theft and money laundering.
On Kombe, Mr Musona said the former’s payment schedules indicated that intended beneficiaries did not sign against their names to signify receipt of the money and that he did not account for the funds.
Mr Musona said Mwanza also admitted collecting cheques from Lusaka but the person whom he claimed to have given the money when he went back to Chipata denied ever receiving funds from him.
On Bwalya, Mr Musona said the convict admitted collecting the money, but none of the intended beneficiaries listed on the payment schedule received it.
About Sinkala, Mr Musona said it was not in dispute that he collected the money and that it was also not in dispute that his payment schedules were not signed.
Mr Musona said Kambowe and Mudenda also collected money separately, paid some beneficiaries but did not pay others.
He granted the convicts leave to appeal to the High Court against his judgment.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
let me read first
That is good news. They can not reap where they did not sow
Uyo Mwanza ni cousin wangu! Ala watisebanya couse ka? Ona lomba, 10 years! The conforting thing is that you are many and Nsima iliko ku jele!!
Theft in public offices is rampant from the stories that go round without anyone being caught this will certainly send shivers on would be offenders. For long stealing cash in Zed often goes unpunshed the most culprits get is dismissal from work. Elo lwanya!
Tzedekah!!!
chain them real tight ! that money could ,at least,have motivated some workers.
115 years? yaba!
Nkani yalula…
This is good news, it will act as a deterant to all those who miss use company funds.
Will Dora be jailed also or the story ended just like that?
its such GREEDINESS and SELFISHNESS that keeps our Zambian people poor. That money could have gone a long way if it was received by the intended owners
“Mr Musona said the convicts will serve five years on each count and the sentences will run concurrently, meaning that each of them will only serve five years.”
…….. can some one explain this to me in laymans terms!
Waht goes around comes around, they thought they were very smart, so what can they do now.
This is unfair. Big shorts 2years sentences, small fishes 115years. Where is the real justice? Punish them all severely and no selective justice.
Iliko bad bakalamba! One lesson to be learnt dont F**k with public funds?
Wow! This is really hard punishment. I’m sure these are not the only thieves around though!
This is economical sabotage & thuggery. These guys really have no mercy. Our policemen & women are literally living in shacks & yet these thugs have the courage to pocket housing all’ces & other emoluments meant for our unsuspecting uniformed members. K1.6 billion, ladies & gntlemen is not small money. it can buy atlist 3 brand new cessna 150 aircraft. what worries me though is how can such collosal amount of money go missing b4 we realise that sumthing is wrong? is there any semblence of accountability in these ministries i wonder? Atlist the wheels of justice are moving!!
This should others doing the same a very big lesson. I don’t believe its just ministry of home affair where these things are. these huys deserve to go to jail. they deprived their fellow employees of their dues. People have been accusing govt that its not paying civil servants housing allowances yet some ministries like home affairs have been paying only to be landing in people’s pockets. What a shame. They show out to their neighbors and other people that they are rich yet they are just thieves. go rot in your prison cell.
This is unfair look at the Generals (Funjika, kayumba, Singongo, Musengule), and businessmen (Sibande) are getting away na tu ma two years. These young guys have been unfairly treated. What will happen to their young big spending wives?
Message sent…serves as a wake up call to many plunderers out there!! But then again, Govenment should ensure that appropriate systems are installed in relation to the transfer of funds, public funds that is. Government is equally at fault here for using systems that attract such criminal activities. These cases have not lasted long in courts…I wonder why other similar cases with billions involved are taking ages to go through the courts. Whats going on here?
#19, you’ve made me laugh by your statement, the last line in particular “their young big spending wives”. I like it. But I think the wives are the ones cry the more coz they’ve got nothing else show off with now.
These wives like kulibonesa ku ma kitchen parties they go driving, with 4 cell phones, 3 hand bags. Now they have to walk to the prison be take Nsima
Is it 15yrs or 115yrs, thats over the top.
15 Years is too much for that little money pipo we are all Accountants and this is posing a threat to our professional i mean we work with money so they should be paying us handsaomely so that we are not tempted to steal…but thats not a passport pipo shud fear God.. i pity those friends of mine.
on the other hand these guys have left a vacancy so i can apply for the top job in that ministry?
Ba LT kubufi mwapena kwaliba sentence ya 115years? Isnt it suppose to ne 115…And is the heading “195 years correct?
Mind you. They have been granted leave to appeal to High Court! What leave again? It is confusing. I believe these guys are not in jail right now like others eg. Former Minister of Lands, Lt Generals etc.
Maestro Hhe Hhe Hhe I thought people from your place don’t steal lol
Let them spend some ‘quality time’ in jail. The 115 years guy will spend atleast 50 years in. aahhaahh.
they stole our parents mashelengi
Wow 115 Years? Anyway I agree with # 14 RB should also sentence himself. Let George Kunda think about Dora Siliya and the others. Look at Chiluba and Regina Mwanza, they took lot’s of Money and ooh, did you forget the people who made the deal to sell the various branches of ZCCM like Emmanuel Kasonde and the like, they all need to go to jail for many, many years. Maybe a billion years. And maybe we should start exhuming graves for people like Ron Penza, Remmy Mushota etc, they need to go to jail too you know. Get over yourselves people and concentrate on the real culprits.
K1.6 billion is not too much money, it buys you one decent house in Kabulonga. That aside, these thieves have gotten what they deserve. However the sharks in these seas have gotten off scott free; getting 3 yrs for more serious crimes involving millions of dollars. Where’s the justice? And we dare burn to death the drunks who steal our doormats and broken radios? Zambia….
Too bad the guys have gone in, i know Bonaventure Chembe very well. Stealing is very bad at whatever level…..and K1.6 billion is just far too much. So the guys were shining using stolen money…..LMAO.
Who says it is only Bembas who steal. If you look at the convicts’ names you’ll find tha all the major tribes have been represented. It is One Zambia One Nation in crime.
you no 32 you are really funny! you made me laugh. you and I are thieves…that’s what you are saying.
195 years? Please people be realistic.
Just 300,000 US$ at today’s exchange rate, but much more than that in at 2005 exchange rate. Anyway, tough for them. Nga ama ministries yambi? No clean up? bwafya!
Dora Sillier will serve 200 years.
Great news for our young democracy. The fight against pilfering and corruption is really yielding positive results and the mess may be fully cleaned up if we continue as a nation at this rate.
On “Lusaka High Court deputy director of operations Edward Musona sentenced Bonaventure Chembe (115 years), Kenneth Hamusonde (15 years), Edward Kombe (15 years), Nathan Mwanza (10 years), Edward Bwalya (10 years), and Christopher Sinkala (10 years).
Others are Lyambai Kambowe (10 years) and Lloyd Mudenda (also 10 years).
“, I am impresssed by the names portrayed especially the years of sentences. It speaks volumes about those with a history of long fingers. I will leave it here and ask all of us to do things properly and carefully. Have a blessed day.
The love for top life, fancy cars, fancy mansions, fancy girlfriends have corrupted the thinking of 95% of Zambians entrusted with public funds. In KKs time anyone who appeared to be abnormally wealth was investigated to establish his source of income. Now adays every kambwanga can afford a Hummer or a Prado and no questions will be asked. Thats how rotten we have be come as a society.
I like the line-up . Crime no knows color or bribe , and preys everybody . This is 4 with
a thing against Bembas. How about the big wise men ?
Meant 2 say crime knows no color or bribe it’s just human.
its time for their butt holes to get stretched……hahahahahahahahahahahaahhaha