Locci SRI Limited managing director, Antonello Locci today appeared before a Lusaka magistrate Court but could not take
plea as his co-accused, Andrew Banda was not before court. Locci 73, a business executive is jointly charged with Banda, who is former President Rupiah Banda’s son, for the offence of gratification for giving assistance with regard to contracts, contrary to section 28(1) (a) (i) as read with section 40 of the Anti Corruption Commission Act 308 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence were that Banda, on dates unknown but between 1st September, 2010 and December, 2011 in Lusaka, being a public officer namely first secretary to the Zambian Embassy in Italy and later deputy high commissioner to India corruptly solicited and agreed to receive two percent of all the payments made to Fratelli Locci SRI Limited by the Road Development Agency (RDA) and did receive K121,065,700, K30,000,000 and K20,000,000 from Locci as an inducement or regard for himself for having given assistance to Locci, managing director of Fratelli Locci SRI Limited in the reward of contracts with RDA, a matter or transaction concerning the RDA, a public body.
It was alleged in the second count that Locci, on unknown dates but between 1st September 2010 and 31st December 2011, in Lusaka agreed to give gratification to Banda amounting to two percent of all monies paid to Fratelli by RDA and did actually pay the sums of K121, 065,700, K30, 000, 000 and K20, 000, 000 to the said Banda, a public officer for having given assistance to the said Locci, managing director of Fratelli in the award of contracts with the RDA a matter or transaction concerning the RDA, a public body.
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito who is leading other prosecutors from the ACC told Lusaka Magistrate Chief Resident, Joshua Banda that Locci who was the second accused was appearing in court for the first time but ideally should have appeared together with Banda.
Mr Nchito said that was so because Banda who had already been charged with the offence and was on bond was scheduled to take plea on 3rd August 2012.
He said it was however agreed with Locci’s defence lawyers Sakwiba Sikota, Jack Mwiimbu and a Dr O Banda that there was no harm in Locci taking plea while Banda would do so on Friday.
But Magistrate Banda ordered for the two accused persons to take plea on the same date.
Meanwhile Locci’s defence lawyers have asked the court to grant bail to their client because he was ailing and keeping him in custody would deteriorate his condition.
Mr Sikota said that his client was of fixed abode as he was resident at the offices of his firm situated at Mpulungu number six in Olympia Township.
He said that his client had been in custody since Tuesday when he was arrested because the investigation officers refused to give him bond despite the provisions of Section 33 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which stipulated that if a person was not granted bond, he should appear in court within 24 hours.
He said that his client was not a freight risk as he had already handed over his passport to the ACC officers and was willing to provide sureties adding that his client had excessive business interests in Zambia which he could not afford to abandon.
Mr Sikota said that his aged client has been admitted to University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and was still admitted to hospital.
“The accused person is advanced in age and was not in good health the court could see for itself how frail his client was looking and keeping him in custody would be detrimental to his health and would be extremely harsh in view of the way he had conducted himself by reporting before investigation officers whenever needed,” Mr Sikota said.
But Mr Nchito objected to the application saying Locci was of no fixed abode as he kept on changing resident from one country to another and even when in Zambia, he was staying at hotels other than the suggested place by his defence lawyers.
Magistrate Banda reserved ruling to tomorrow when Locci and Banda were expected to appear for plea.
yabaa!!!!
Whats done in the dark ….
Sipinya Panda and son maketh the old man suffer. Can Sipinya be arrestted pliz?
I am happy that this case is already before the courts.
The RDA is one of the most corrupt govt depts. in the country, it must be split and some functions taken back to provinces because Lusaka does not know what is happening at provincial or district level in terms of road constructions/reconstructions.
Its just wrong to have everything… I mean everything for the country done from Lusaka.
He said that his client was not a freight risk.
Huh, you mean like a runaway train or truck loaded with dangerous cargo?
Eh the guy is “big!!!”
18 billion please, when is the case coming fourth
No. 3.
Thats a precise point you have stated. Lusaka is too involved in many gov. contracts and not just the inability of the officers to supervise contracts. But a deliberate move by gov. to take funds to regional centres instead of the vortex situation we have now,or simply a black hole scenario. Maybe it could be the grand plan by SATA? Why all the districts.
Did you read on the cell door?? Ati ” F***k Da Cop! Liato was here” so the police officers didn’t notice that or is because it was written by Liato?
His company won the contract to tar Pedicle road in Congo linking Copperbelt and Luapula provinces. It is said that it was K60bn more expensive than some Chinese firm. You can wonder what they considered ba RDA and ba Public Procurement and whatever(former National Tender Board). I feel pity the old man. Indeed guys, RDA should be decentralised. Let them be down in districts like old Roads Dept was in KK’s time.
You can not run a geographically large country like Zambia is, with centralised institutions. I mean if a report reaches the RDA Lusaka office about a bad Lundazi road, the Lusaka engineers are somehow detached from the actual inconvience. People in Lundazi would wait for years before overwhelmed RDA responds. RDA is only suitable for countries like Lesotho, Swaziland, Rwanda, Burundi or Djibouti. Zed is big.
Because of this centralisation of institutions, those running are innundated with heaps of files to work on for the whole country. This creates an environment for bribery and corruption. This is the case with Title deeds and Passport issuance. It’s all Lusaka Lusaka. I wonder if the Ndola offices still work. In my opinion, we can grow Choma, Kasama, Solwezi and others to take on some duties.
“The accused person is advanced in age and was not in good health the court could see for itself how frail his client was looking and keeping him in custody would be detrimental to his health and would be extremely harsh in view of the way he had conducted himself by reporting before investigation officers whenever needed,” Mr Sikota said. NONSENSE. WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF OLDER PRISONERS THAN THIS CORRUPT ELEMENT. IF HE HAS TO ROT IN JAIL LET HIM ROT.
Some of these so called investors are nothing but thieves.
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