Friday, March 29, 2024

Lusambo arrested and charged for electoral corruption by the Anti-Corruption Commission Zambia

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Yesterday, the former Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo was arrested and charged for electoral corruption by the Anti-Corruption Commission Zambia.

Mr Lusambo who is also the former Member of Parliament for Kabushi Constituency was arrested and charged with Four (4) counts of Bribery contrary to Section 81 of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016.

In a statement issued by the Anti-Corruption Commission Public Relations Manager Timothy Moono, highlighted that the offences were committed between 1st April, 2021 and 14th August 2021 in Ndola during the August 2021 General Elections campaign period.

Mr Moono stated that Mr Lusambo’s arrest follows the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court which nullified the election of Mr Lusambo as Member of Parliament for Kabushi Constituency for engaging in electoral corruption.

“Resulting from its decision, the Constitutional Court issued a Report which detailed the electoral malpractices that were perpetrated by Mr Lusambo,” Mr Moono added

He cited that it is on the strength of this Report that the Anti-Corruption Commission instituted investigations into the alleged malpractices and corruption, and the Commission proceeded to record a warn and caution statement from Mr Lusambo and he has subsequently been arrested.

Mr Moono explained that in the first count, Mr Lusambo being a private person namely an aspiring candidate for Kabushi constituency under the Patriotic Front (PF) ticket, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, corruptly offered K50 and actually gave K50 each to some United Party for National Development (UPND) supporters and actually promised K500 each, 2.5 liters of cooking oil and a bag of mealie meal after the elections.

Mr Moono further explained that in the second count, Mr Lusambo was arrested and charged for corruptly giving K1,300.00 to youths in Lubuto West to share.

Furthermore, in the third count, Mr Lusambo was arrested and charged for corruptly giving K4,000.00 to youths from Kabushi Ward to share.

Additionally, in the fourth count, Mr Lusambo was arrested and charged for corruptly giving K300 each to some women of Saint Kizito Catholic Church after attending mass before the elections.

Mr Moono noted that the offences were committed as an inducement or reward for the recipients of the money from Lusambo for them to vote for him and the Patriotic Front Party in the August 12th 2021 General Elections.

“Mr Lusambo was released on Bond and is expected to appear in court soon,” Mr Moono said

On 28th July, 2022 the Constitutional Court upheld the nullification of the election of Bowman Lusambo as Kabushi Member of Parliament, as he is linked to pre-election violence in Kabushi and distribution of money in breach of electoral rules.

Reading the judgment, Constitutional Court Judge Palan Mulonda noted that the trial Judge was on firm ground when he stated that out of the four violent incidents, Mr Lusambo was present on three different occasions and did not attempt to stop the violence.

Judge Palan Mulonda has further found that the lower Court was on firm ground that it was not a mere coincidence that Mr Lusambo was found with the NATO Forces, who perpetrated violence prior to the August 12, 2021 elections.

Last year, the Ndola High Court nullified the election of Mr Lusambo on grounds of electoral malpractices after the United Party for National Development (UPND) losing candidate Bernard Kanengo petitioned Mr Lusambo of the Patriotic Front (PF) stating that it was characterized by violence and corrupt malpractices before and during the August 12,2021 General elections. But in his appeal Mr Lusambo stated that the trial Judge Edward Musona erred in law when he stated that the Kabushi Lawmaker did not disassociate himself from the violence and did not attempt to stop it.

Despite this nullification paving way for a By-Election in Kabushi Constituency, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) rejected the nomination papers for Mr Lusambo on the basis that he does not qualify to recontest the Kabushi seat that was nullified by the Constitutional Court citing to Article 72 (4) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Act No. 2 of 2016, as the Commission is not mandated to accept nominations from any candidates who caused a vacancy in the National Assembly.

33 COMMENTS

  1. @Tarino Orange….no one supports thefts except you… one may be a thief, you arrest but if you continue harassing that person then it’s obvious there other reasons other than the original. Of course you can’t see it.

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  2. UPND what have “we” become? Why are you scared of Lusambo if the UPND Candidate standing on the ballot would easily beat Lusanbo? This is desperation and you are now using the PF Template of doing things, the very things we condemned to kick PF out. You know you will loose the disqualification case before the constitutional court. This is sad reading and a way of doing politics. Just let him stand and allow the voters to vote him out and teach him a lesson. It looks like you know the UPND Candidate is not good enough to beat Lusambo.

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    • @Moonga,
      Why are you being brainwashed by making you believe that this is UPND persecution? That is what is wrong with you Zambians, you take everything politically and ignore your LAWS because you suspect political foul in everything.
      You have gone to an extent of ignoring your Electrol Law. It’s not UPND who nullified the election, it was the high court and upheld by the Concourt. The judges involved in that decision both Highcourt and Concourt were NAMED by ECL, a PF DIE HARD. So, why suddenly, you fail to grasp the fact and start dancing to PF music? No one should be above the law.period.

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    • General Kanene @ 7.1

      A) Brainwashed by whom. Don’t expose your childish traits. You don’t know the meaning of “Brainwash and Believe” that’s the sad part. You don’t know anything about me to come to that conclusion. Start by learning to respect other people’s opinion. And if you want to criticise don’t use negative your emotions but intelligence. I don’t subscribe to guys like you who “maybe” hell bent at all cost. You read a comment by someone without looking at context, then you go and make a conclusion and label someone as brainwashed .

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    • General Kanene @7.1

      B) If I was brainwashed I would not be working for Alphabet the parent company for Google in Silicon Valley as a Vice President//Research & Development. And I am not bragging. It takes someone to have brains to hold this position especially if you come from Africa. Stay away from my comments. Get used, UPND has supporters who criticise it because we want the best from UPND. The problem with chaps like you – you take things so personal to the point name calling and judging displaying to hate for another human being.

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    • @ Moonga,
      Cut the crap, there was nothing personal in my comment that would offend a normal and reasonable person, how does a normal person get offended by simply warning you NOT to get “brainwashed”, it’s evident you are missing the meaning. NO one said you are “BRAINWASHED” , I doubt your position if you can’t understand a simple sentence.
      What context are you talking about when you say “Why are you scared of Lusambo if the UPND Candidate standing on the ballot would easily beat Lusanbo? ” You have zero facts, just speculating. The elections were NOT nullified by UPND or HH, obviously, there is electoral law for which Lvsambo was found guilty.

    • CONT`D
      @Moonga
      One would expect that educated people like you would favor the Rule Of Law, but ALAS, you are falling pry to speculations, and when you are TOLD the facts, you turn around and say I take it personally. YOU ARE THE ONE BEING PERSONAL.I am NOT a UPND, NEVER participated in any ZAMBIAN Voting, THEREFORE I HAVE NO REASON TO TAKE SIDES, I JUST COMMENT BASED ON FACTS AND MY OBSERVATIONS OF THE ZAMBIAN POLITICS. I AM A FREE MINDED PERSON WHO SUPPORTS WHAT IS RIGHT, and NOT BASED on propaganda actions. THERE ARE LAWS WHICH ARE STILL BINDING UNTIL REPEALED, and HENCE, PEOPLE MUST LEARN TO RESPECT THE LAWS ACCORDINGLY.

  3. The law is the law. Caused a nullification through violence. Straight forward. Very violent chap, not new, in the past beat up Kachingwe, slapped Kambwili, was at the center of violence in the Roan bye election, and the court established that he was part of the violent NATO forces, not even sure if the chap knows what NATO stands for,

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  4. ‘A former councillor has been jailed and ordered to pay more than £28,000 back to Redbridge Council after committing electoral fraud.
    Chaudhary Mohammed Iqbal, who was a Labour councillor for Loxford for more than two years, admitted in October that he gave a false address when applying to be councillor and later lied to the police.
    He was jailed on Monday, January 4 for 68 weeks (17 months) and must pay back £18,368 he received in expenses and £10,000 towards the cost of the by-election to replace him.’ Ref: Ilford Recorder (UK). I like the idea of paying towards the cost of a by-election!

  5. Good riddance from the political playfield!! Arrest that Society liablity called Lusambo. He is worese than zero

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  6. PF and their supporters are very ready to break and ignore laws anyhow………..

    No respect for laws what so ever……….

    Just look at them above acting like lusambo broke no laws………

    For sure, had PF won , zambia was going to be worse than Congo DR………

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  7. Usman. Sir you are right such violent people like Lusambo and Kaizar Zulu are so difficult to term that only prisons would free Zambians from sick monsters. While Kaizar Zulu was busy shooting at innocent Zambians and beating women and the police, Lusambo was showing his ignorance by beating who ever disagreed with like Kachingwe. His murder case must never be forgotten. The family to the late are still waiting for justice.

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  8. 4.2 Tarino Orange, I only comment where it is necessary. I am not like you who has nothing to do but spend your valuable commenting on everything.

    Look at how my comment is getting appreciated. Your government is short sighted just like you Tarino.

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  9. I’m trying to emphathise with Lusambo but when I remember him punching the other fool Kambwili my sympathy evaporates.

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  10. Criminals should not be allowed to go anywhere near public resources. When you are found guilty of criminality, that should be the end of your political career. We need to make it unacceptable for these people to flirt with jail only to come back and loot for more.

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