The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instituted investigations against former Deputy High Commissioner to London, Eva Fundafunda for alleged theft of title deeds and has written to the Tanzanian government seeking her extradition.
Ms Fundafunda is alleged to have lost three title deeds for the Zambian High Commission properties in London which were allegedly stolen whilst in her possession.The title deeds where allegedly stolen from Ms Fundafunda at a time when she was recalled from London and posted to China where she was promoted to the position of ambassador.
Ms Fundafunda, however, allegedly declined the appointment and decided to seek asylum in Tanzania for fear of being prosecuted in Zambia over the lost title deeds.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since written to the Tanzanian government seeking that Ms Fundafunda be extradited to Zambia to help with investigations.The matter came to light when the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs George Zulu appeared before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Luena member of Parliament (MP) Gertrude Imenda.
Mr Zulu said that the high commissioner to London wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing them about the theft of title deeds.He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in turn wrote to the Ministry of Justice seeking guidance on how to proceed with the matter.Mr Zulu said that theft of title deeds could not be reported to the police in London immediately due to bureaucracy.
He said that Government has since engaged a lawyer to help with investigations.
And Auditor-General Anna Chifungula wondered why Ms Fundafunda removed Government documents from a safe and went with them home.She also questioned Mr Zulu why it had to take auditors from her office to discover the theft of title deeds and yet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knew about the matter when it happened.PAC members also observed that diplomats do not adhere to foreign service regulations, hence the need to appoint civil servants to the positions.
That is why cadres must not be appointed in Embassies , can you imagine the nerve of that woman , Shocking !!!1
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@1.1 I take it you’re joking right? If you don’t see the gravity of this matter, you’re not worth being on this blog. If this matter wasn’t brought before the PAC we wouldn’t have known about it. Such things could be happening to govt-owned properties in and outside Zambia and people don’t know about it. And what kind of bureaucracy kept them from reporting the matter to the police the moment it happened? They could have helped with the investigation. And what about copies? Don’t they have copies of these title deeds? And finally if she is innocent why did she run away? Why not face up to the situation?
She borrowed against the deeds and gave them as surety
Thieves. How does a diplomat keep state property dTitle deeds at home like it is her property? I smell conniving here. Why did she run away? The property is in a very wealthy part of London as well. If that property is lost Zambia will never afford another in that area.
I met this woman when she arrived in London. My first reaction was: ‘what has Zambia come to, she wouldn’t be employed as a cleaner’. ZAMBIA IN THE SUN.
Title deeds are assignable by the assignees and/or official signatories … In this case if the property belongs to the Zambian Government abroad an ambassador or an official with signatory powers can assign and/or borrow against such property.
The only legal recourse would be to prove fraud or theft by servant on the part of the Zambian government or to prove scientia on the part of whoever is found in their possession.
The latter is hard to prove because you would have to convince a judge that the person(s) in possession of the title deeds or the new assignee(s) knew the previous assignee(s) obtained the documents through fraud.
I don like what I see here, police needs to be involved right away … could be the reason she declined ambassadorship in exchange for asylum.
@B R Mumba, Sr, thank you for the breakdown, i know you are PF but can you be my advisor? Thats if i can afford you.
Ba UPND Cadre Fimo fimo … I am Zambian not PF but after being Zambian I am UNIPist. I don’t think you want a neo-con UNIP guy as your advisor … Such kind are not only expensive to afford but also too honest for your breaches.
We hold the republic above all else because to us Zambia is greater than any single one of us.
Have a blessed day.
That’s human nature. Regardless of who is in power we are always going to have people who embezzle. She nearly got away with being a multi millionaire..Nearly…How can we trust anyone in power?
This is laughable surely one can not even appoint such to manage a kids tuckshop!
Did she also steal the properties, or its only papers? Why can’t government replace deeds? What will happen if I take title deeds for Nkwazi house at State house or Parliament building at Mulungushi?
She was Comrade cobra’s one of many beloveds!
Nostradamus – I wonder what level of education you have attained. Don’t you know that being in possession of title deeds means you can convert ownership of the affected properties? Just shows you don’t own any property that’s why you think title deeds are just pieces of paper.
I also don’t understand why she took the title deeds. Did she want to sell the properties? And why run away rather than coming to face the law if she is not guilty?
It is not as simple as that. First you have to advertise for 30 days in news papers for any objections to the issuance of a duplicate certificate and so forth. If that woman intentionally lost these documents, she must have put in place plans to make this process fail. The others can add to what I have said.
Replace those title deeds. Not a big deal
@Ngalande Lukulu and Nostradamus – Just go home, the two of you.
Only Pf can do this. I don’t know what material these monkeys are made of.
In the preceding goats we have never heard of this nonsense! PF cadres do not respect property belonging yo others. They treat govt property as personal. Hence this development.
She was Comrade cobra’s one of many beloveds!
I don’t really get the whole story here. It’s Zambian Government property in London. Title deeds are in Zambian Governments name, why not get a replacement. So if she steals the title deeds, how useful are they? MB, if I steal your title deeds for your house in Canada, where would I take them? I think i have just missed the essence of the story.
A thorough investigation needs to be carried out on Zambia’s ‘lost/missing’ property in London. The investigation should include the period of UNIP’s and MMD’s rule. Were property has been sold, the country should be informed where the monies realised was channelled to or who benefitted from the sale.
Maybe this Fundafunda thought that title deeds transference in UK would be as easy as here where one can use them to borrow money without the owner knowing. Or there is a loan somewhere in the UK and the deeds are with the lending bank. I suspect she didn’t do this on her own.
I say bravo to the Auditor-General Anna Chifungula, I think she is not a PF Party cadre.
Unless there is someting more eg unless she used the title deeds as collateral for her personal borrowing , I really dont see why she would even seek asylum in Tanzanja over a simple issue – all that needs to be done is to replace the lost or stolen deeds. Unless there is something more which Gvt is not telling us
Anna Chifungula is another brave woman Zambia has. She is doing her job very well. The problem is the instruments of power are in the hands of men so they do not act on what this woman uncovers. Each year – in and out – she highlights corruption everywhere in govt. But no action is taken – you just wonder why?
Best Wishes bane.
Anna Chifingula must be the most frustrated Zambian. She has unearthed a lot of irregularities under successive governments but all of them have turned a blind eye to her findings. It’s like stealing in government is normal
I smell a rat a big RAT. Why seek asylum. If things are stolen from u? Report to police, get a report and documents are replaced after the due verification process.
Such an old bana mayo – shameful. And why asylum in Tanzania? Do Zambia and Tanzania not have an extradition treaty?
Or is that where you come from like your departed ex?
@ Nostradamus & Ngalande Lukulu – It is not as simple as that. First you have to advertise for 30 days in news papers for any objections to the issuance of a duplicate certificate and so forth. If that woman intentionally lost these documents, she must have put in place plans to make this process fail. The others can add to what I have said.
Shocking as this is; it highlights the wider problem of Zambian morality, the lack of it in many unfortunate cases.
Theft of property through bereavement by relatives of deceased is a case in point. Also people building on other people’s land.
This case being taken up shows promising signs of this type of theft being legally dealt with.
It’s most certain she must have been in some plot to illegally a quire those properties, like HH did with The Kabulonga Property. People in high office must be tackled for failing to protect citizen/Taxpayer properties.
It’s another bravo for His Excellency President Lungu. All these corrupt are happening on his watch. We now have to see how ‘slooowly’ the Judiciary handle the case eventually. Let’s hope they do us proud.
Correction!
All these corrupt cases are coming to light; are happening on his watch. We now have to etc…..
Leave HH out of this u moron. He never worked for any parastatal or govt dept. That house was acquired openly after an advert. If u have nothing to say @patriot, JUST SHUT YOUR…….
13.2 jamakudi
Now, now Jamakudi, I think you need to take a leaflet out of your own book and take the same advice.
If you can’t be civil and use civil language in response to other people’s diverse response ess, the. You need to shut up yourself.
Free legal advice for you:
1. Unless you are HH’s legal representative with a genuine objection, then your right to order me not to exercise my freedom of speech is completely ineffective.
2. HH is in the public eye, he must expect the people he hopes to rule one day, to give him their honest opinion. I think it is very unfortunate that he acquired that property, when he clearly was in charge of the process to privatise public properties. It smacks of a conflict of interest/bad and Ethics even if he made a transparent…
Jamakudu
HH advertised the house and bought it . You chaps are really dull.
@Jamakudi
I think it is very unfortunate that he acquired that property, when he clearly was in charge of the process to privatise public properties. It smacks of a conflict of interest/and bad Ethics even if he made a transparent announcement.
You and your fellow Defenders of HH should stop this violent form of communication. It really shows you up as a bunch of Yobos. Have respect of opposing stands, after all we live in a democratic country and are therefore free to express divergent views as long as they are expressed in a manner that does not prevent others doing the same.
I would never take advice from you, Loadist and other bloggers who are so lost in their conduct to others. The frightening thing is; WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE YOU ARE INTELLECTUALLY SUPERIOR!
I don’t get this story. Misplaced title deeds. If title deeds are for properties in UK, how had is it to get a replacement. If her name is not on the title deeds, she can’t sell the property. Maybe I have misunderstood the premise of the story
This is a tip of a very big scandal.The Cobra was involved for sure.She was told by the Cobra to “secure” the deeds,hence her promotion!!Seeking asylum is not a simple thing.
she canty sell them as change of ownership would require consent from the property owners…..
its a boomshell
This is pure undiluted urine… then again! exactly what’s shocking about this excuse for a story. Absolutely nothing, because this is normal behaviour for Zambian politicians. I am not surprised or shocked in any way shape or form. The woman only did what came natural to a Zambian politician past and present… find a way to eat and enjoy her life. As Professor Diffikot said, “Kudya, Kudyelatu Baba”.
@Chumbumunsholwa,the president can give a consent.There is a scandal here, watch!!
What if she got those title deeds, wrote a letter to a money lender on Zambian High commission paper, indicating that the Zambian government wanted to borrow some cash and would use the title deeds as collateral. In the mean time got the money which went into her personal account . Just thinking you know!
Until the Zambian Constitution is changed, with Presidential powers seriously trimmed, we shall always have these undeserving Cadres, Wives, Girlfriends, & Relatives in these positions, abusing the nation, & its coffers.
Why on earth are Zambian’s surprised by this story. This is just the tip of the iceberg, in the abuses, that are currently taking place in our government institutions @ home, & foreign missions abroad!!
Only with a New people driven Constitution , shall we join the “Sane, Normal, Functioning African nations”, like Namibia, & Botswana, that have seen steady development, post independence!
When MMD came to power the Zambian government lost some properties in the UK to be specific, London. This was done in the same way this woman had done. The Zambian government had a lot of houses for the staff working at the high commission but Sata and Chiluba engineered the stealing or changing of title deeds in the name of unknown people. Some of the properties were being rented but nobody wants to talk about that. in London most the workers are getting over £3000 plus their salary in Zambia. In addition the government pays for their accommodation each about £3000 per month. Sata left his relatives in the embassies world over and it will be difficulty for anyone to get information that does not benefit the family forest.
Fundafunda is Alex Chikwanda’s lover and has a child with her. So title deeds are somehow still in government’s hands and can be transferred. The Finance minister might sign for them. Watch this space.