Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Ronald Chitotela and other pleads not guilty to corruption charges

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Minister of Infrastructure Ronald Chitotela on Tuesday leaving the ACC Headquarters in the company of his lawyer
Minister of Infrastructure Ronald Chitotela on Tuesday leaving the ACC Headquarters in the company of his lawyer

Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Ronald Chitotela has pleaded not guilty to four counts of corruption before Magistrate David Simusamba.

The Minister is jointly charged with Gregory Chibanga, Brut Holding Limited and Diris Mukange who also denied the charges.

In the matter, it is alleged in the first count that Chitotela, Gregory Chibanga and Brut Holdings Limited, between July 3, 2016 and October 30, last year in Lusaka, concealed lot number 148 of farm 50A situated in Makeni disguised in the names of Diris Mukange, property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

In the second count, the trio between the same dates is accused of concealing part of subdivision A lot 22183/M situated in Ibex Hill, Lusaka, disguised in the name of Diris Mukange, property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

In the third count, Diris Mukange between the same dates jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown people possessed lot number 148 of farm 50A situated in Makena in Lusaka, property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

In the fourth count, Mukange between the same dates possessed part of subdivision A of lot 22183/M situated in Ibex Hill.

When the matter came up for plea before magistrate David Simusamba, Tuesday, Chitotela said he denied the charges 100 percent.

His co-accused equally pleaded not guilty.

The matter has since been adjourned to March 20 and 21, this year, as well as April 2, 3 and 4, for trial.

Meanwhile opposition UPND Members of Parliament have continued to walkout on Mr Chitotela in Parliament whenever he stands to speak as a form of protest at his continued stay in while facing corruption charges.

And Speaker of the national Assembly Patrick Matibini has reserved ruling on a point of order raised by Southern province Minister Edify Humukale on whether UPND Members of Parliament are in order to continue leaving the house whenever Mr. Chitotela takes to the floor to address house.

UPND Parliamentary Whip Situmbeko Musokotwane said that they will continue walking out on Mr Chitotela until he resigns or he is removed from his position.

The Anti Corruption Commission on 5th February arrested Mr Chitotela and charged him with two counts of concealing property suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to Section 71 subsection (1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crimes Act Number 1 of 2010.

meanwhile, Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Ronald Chitotela said that the delayed commissioning of works on the Kitwe-Chingola Dual Carriage Way on the Copperbelt is due to the new valuation order issued to the contractor.

Mr Chitotela said that Sino Hydro, the contractor engaged by Government to refurbish the road, was initially given a project to construct one lane.

He said authorities later realised that there is need to also upgrade the old lane, thereby issuing a new valuation order to the contractor.

Mr Chitotela was speaking in a telephone interview with ZNBC News in Kitwe.

The Minister disclosed that the dual carriage way will be commissioned in October this year.

He said Government wants to ensure value for money when the project is handed over.

Mr Chitotela also said works on the dual carriage way are currently above 80%.

21 COMMENTS

    • Innocent until proven guilty. Ain’t no prima facie case here. I hope prosecutors have enough evidence.
      If you have sufficient evidence, should it take you 5 years proving your case?

    • Fire this arrogant and rude crook let the due course of the Law take its course, if the UPND feel justice will not be served let them file in a civil lawsuit against Chitotela on behalf of the Zambian people as taxpayers that way we will have the State prosecuting him in a criminal case as well as the opposition sueing him in a civil case. Otherwise the writing is on the wall.

      “Ati I deny 100percent”…very dull and rude.. It’s either “yes I deny” or “no I don’t deny”…the chap wants to add spices to his plea which is normally a sign of ukuchenjela.. trying to be smart for nothing hopeless crook, these are the people destroying this country.

  1. SO HE SAYS, NOT GUILTY YOUR HONOR!
    It’s prosecutors vs defendants.
    Here we go.1,2,3 years to go. Lack of sufficient evidence.
    As for the deads, let them keep walking out.
    And when prosecutors fail to prove that Chitotela is guilty, let the deads continue the walk out. Impossible ungovernables.

  2. Thats what mukuni and Gbm are saying. These are key upendi cadres

    Now why are upendi mps walking out of parly. Let us nullify theire seats and they should be barred forever

  3. “Ronald Chitotela said that the delayed commissioning of works on the Kitwe-Chingola Dual Carriage Way on the Copperbelt is due to the new valuation order issued to the contractor.
    Mr Chitotela said that Sino Hydro….engaged by Government to refurbish the road, was initially given a project to construct one lane.
    He said authorities later REALIZED that there is need to also upgrade the old lane, thereby issuing a new valuation order to the contractor.”

    These guys IN THIS LAZY LUNGU GOVT have to be among the most wasteful and most reckless fooools I have ever come across….silly fooools…surely how can talk of value for money or best value when you are issuing new valuation orders …last year you stated that the initial works were 79% done to be completed in December 2018.

  4. This is a road that cost the taxpayer K600 Billion …can this thief account for that money paid in 2012 for a 45 KM road…these are the type of cases that should he should be in the dock for not concealment of property. Ranking Engineering conducted detailed feasibility study why did they just recommend one lane.

    lusakatimes.com/2012/09/13/k600-billion-kitwechingola-road-upgrade-dual-carriageway-start-100-days-time/

  5. President Lungu, suspend this minister and let the PS of his ministry do the day to day duties. They are better versed for the job anyway.

  6. What does he mean new variation order? These guys have got to be daft, from day one the dual carriageway included the old lane because it was dilapidated and full of potholes. They knew it damn it!! Or maybe suspect Chitotela wants to conceal the truth?

  7. The man walks out of his court case on serious corruption charges and is able to freely ‘get back to work’? What kind of a country is this? A govt. that does anything with impunity – completely ignoring the dictates of natural justice, common sense, due process and morality. This is not about innocent until proven guilty. It is about standing aside whilst you face charges. What message is sent to the judiciary when the appointing authority says ‘my man will still be working’ while he appears before you?

    No one matters – except the panga family. Looking after each other and dissecting the national cake for their own self aggrandizement.

  8. Pathetic to have this criminal discharging his duties while at the same time going to court. We’re in a banana republic allowing criminals to cover their tracks because that’s all he is doing and he evidence will be gone. How is the judge going to do his job knowing too well this thug is being protected by the useless man at the top. Tanzania jailed the ivory smuggling woman if she was in Zambia she would have bribed ECL and never see the inside of a jail

    • These are LAZY LUNGU WASTED YEARS if small boys are publicly showing off thousands of dollars on social media they have stolen from govt just imagine after 2021 if LAZY LUNGU is still in power!!

  9. UPND should emulate Julius Malema and the company in South Africa who made Zuma to pay for his crimes. They should not walk out of parliament. It is a sign of cowardice. Let them stand their ground by declaring civil disobedience in parliament. Immediately he stands up to address parliament let them dress him down as a thief. Zuma found it hard to address parliament because Malema and his friends made it hard for him.
    A thief should not have space in parliament. Walking away is a sign of cowardice. Nothing will be achieved from walking away. You need to face him and dress him down right away in parliament.

  10. I think the media should cover his corruption case but simply refuse to show up for Chitotela’s press briefings or tours. A real media blackout of Chitotela by radio/TV/newspapers/sites would leave him only the Times of Zambia, Daily Mail, Daily Nation and ZNBC. But of course, we know our media are cowards when it comes to issues of integrity, ethics and well … journalism.

  11. @ 8. on point. look at they way he is walking with hands in the pockets as if he knows all is well. why do some people feel more Zambian than others?

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