FORMER Zambia Air Force (ZAF) commander Andrew Sakala yesterday told a Lusaka magistrate’s court that he personally delivered K500,000 to each of his co-accused persons, who were also service chiefs.
Opening his defence yesterday led by his lawyer, Nganga Yalenga, Sakala, 60, told principal resident magistrate Wilfred Muma that following a meeting with the Central Joint Committee (CJOC) , it was resolved that the three security chiefs be given K500,000 each for operations.
Sakala is jointly charged with former Zambia National Service (ZNS) commandant Anthony Yeta and former Zambia Army Commander, Wisdom Lopa for corruption involving K1.5 million meant for defence special operations during and after the 2011 tripartite elections.
He said members of the committee were from Zambia Army, which was the chair, Office of the President as secretariat, Zambia Police as vice chair, ZAF and ZNS as members. He said membership on the committee was restricted to commanders only.
Sakala said when the money was received in the ZAF air craft higher account, he personally gave Yeta and Lopa K500,000 each.
“The director of finance Col Chibesa informed me that the money had been received, so I asked him to withdraw the first K500,000 and I called Major-General Yeta to inform him that the money for the operations was ready, and then I delivered it to his residence because it was late,” he said.
He said the second withdrawal was for the Zambia Army and he equally called Lopa and asked him to follow him to Chainama Golf Club where he handed over the K500,000.
“And the last K500,000, I personally got it and was used for operations,” he said.
Yeta had opted to remain silent, while Lopa would also give evidence on oath.
Meanwhile, the magistrate has ordered that the matter be held in camera so that Sakala could tell the court how he used the money and explain why in some instances he was unable to produce receipts.
This was after another defence lawyer Sakwiba Sikota asked the accused how the court was going to believe that he handed over the money to his colleagues without producing any evidence.
In his response, Sakala said accountability would have been done at the next CJOC but could not meet since the trio was removed from their respective positions.
“I was going to read in detail through a report how the money was handed over and how it was used with or without receipts because these are highly secretive operations and cannot go into details. In such highly covert operations, there are no receipt presentations,” he said.
The matter continues today.
Election Campaign money is like spoils of war. There are no receipts involved. Everyone knows that. You also don’t expect to see receipts from “special” operations. Unless you want the dignified ex-service chiefs to go to Cairo Road and buy receipts, is that what you want?
DONT SUPPORT PEOPLE STEALING FROM YOU JUST BECAUSE IT IS PF IN POWER. THAT IS LUCK OF PRINCIPLES. WETHER MMD,PF, UPND IN POWER, THEFT IS THEFT. THIS IS NOT PF MONEY. IT IS GVT MONEY WHICH WAS STOLEN. ULICHIPUBA AND YOU SAY YOU CAN ELIMINATE CORRUPTION WHEN U COME INTO POWER IF YOU SUPPORT SUCH THINGS? YOU TAKE GVT MONEY TO SOMEONE AT HOME, WHY?
What a dull Commander, Government money exchanging hands in homes and golf club, without any evidence of transaction. Yeta and Lopa, will sacrifice their colleague for their freedom since there probably is no evidence they received the money, Sakala bamumanga sakalanyongo!
Zambia will for ever lag behind in development because such mentality @1. How on earth can you support theft?? these guys are participants in looting of our meagre resources meant for medicines in our hospitals and desks in schools. It appears Zambians are seriously corrupt – I agree with Guy Scott.
The problem is that we have some social commentators who have no clue to most of the topics they comment on. To help those that can be helped, I will proceed in this fashion: Election time is a very delicate time and you require special operatives to go round the country so that the security of all political players is guaranteed. What most of you do not know is that even the opposition leaders are carefully protected by these operatives. This happens not only in Zambia but in other countries such as USA. Funds dispersed to undercover agents, for example in the USA, are not reconciled using cash receipts! Your concerns 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3 are genuine, but misplaced. These defense ex-chiefs will never tell you how they used the money because that is classified information.
@ 1.4. These Defense Chiefs are accountable to the Commander In Chief in this case the President. It appears these guys failed to convince the Commander in Chief that the money they were given was used for purposes intended hence the court case. Let us not use ‘Classified information’, ‘under cover operations’, secret operations to STEAL. In America everyone is accountable to someone!
Sakala’s wife already warned him that she would spill the beans if he continued womanising! Delivering K500 million (old currency) at a gold club and another K500 million at a house! Shame on these thieves.
These people are just being persecuted. They were simply following an order from the president. That money WAS given to them to use for election rigging exercise. We should then concentrate on how they were going to rig elections using the money as opposed to saying that they stole it.
They all steal in the name of special operations.
Operation funds is like money you place in a plate at a funeral house.You don’t produce receipts when going out there to buy Malasha cabbages etc.Even change is never taken back.Kulyamo baba.
Have a mental picture of a hand jammed in a cookie jar with laser controlled trap activated. Forgive my thoughts but I think we need a lot of lasers zapping away as a deterrent. Read that as legal measures with great ramifications. Toss prison key in Zambezi. Incurable pandemic corruption… No prison big enough to hold all those at it. Heartbreaking. Sorry what was the topic again, said dramatically emotional person in need of coffee.
IS IT RIGHT FOR SERVICE CHIEFS TO GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS TO AN EXTENT OF RECEIVING MONEY AND CAMPAIGNING FOR THE PARTY IN POWER? UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULDN’T THE MONEY HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE SAME WAY THEY DO WITH MONEY ALLOCATED TO THEM BY GOVERNMENT. WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS MONEY?
What was so special is that it was money given by the president to use for election rigging. You don’t go public with such activities. Why do you think the courts have allowed the case to be heard in camera when he is explaining how it was used? There are things done at a great expense that you don’t even need to know about it even under PF such things are being done
A bunch of thieves indeed. They did not steal but got the money ……really? This is Zambia for you, where corruption is at the noses of people.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
@Truth Hates, firstly your name is supposed to be ‘TRUTH HURTS’. Secondly, you do not seem to have the slightest idea as to what DEFENCE AND SECURITY is all about!
Ati the money was “received in the ZAF air craft higher account”! Bane, it’s supposed to be HIRE ACCOUNT. Away from English, people should understand that when one is under oath, breaching the oath of secrecy is another criminal offence! THEY SHALL BE ACQUITTED, because they worked under instructions!
It was a zoo in there! If mere service chiefs had such access to the loot, sorry ops money, what more of Alaa Bee and his consultant sons? Reminds me of a certain two billion kwachas in the boot of a car exchanging hands, pardon, exchanging boots at State house. What a country!
These are Criminals who’ve brought hunger & suffering to the poor through plunder of state resources.
Problem is even if found Guilty, i don’t see these men being punished. Only Mwanawasa was truly allergic to corruption, & locked up guilty corrupt officials.
At the moment we have an ex- Government official who decided to “plant cash” corruptly obtained on his farm, & still is a Free Man. In Zambia crime truly does pay!
Rupiah Banda at his best… The man was ready to remain in power at all costs….even Hiring the defence and security staff…When Zambians decide…they do it decisively….. remember super KEN: ‘Why did our women vote in 1990’? The old man lost to FTJ badly dispite the fact that the state machinery was on his side!
As much as much is said in terms of how security services work. My understanding is that any operation that is undertaken the money is accounted for and it’s upon those who are involved in those operations to use their brains. To counter attack the mamba operation after MMD won the elections those involved knew any change of govt may mean giving evidence how the people investigating gathered the information and what means they used. It does not mean OP, the army and ZAF are above the law why was the police not given ? Simple they were seen as pro PF when the intelligence poits otherwise. RB was wrongly advised by those close to him and this is what happens
Heartless chaps, stealing in broad day and even proud to say special operations! How in earth does someone withdraw such huge amount of money and take it to his friend’s home and the expects the story end there? So the chaps used the money as they wished and if MMD had won the election, this story could have been swept under the carpet just like that! These commanders should not even at any time be allowed to handle financial issues regardless of the situation because this simply promotes corruption and money laundering. No wonder we are always lagging behind in developmental issues because there is just no sense of responsibility!
The Italian job……………….