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5 Chipata police officers nabbed for corruption

21/09/2013

L-R Annie Lane, IOM Zambia Chief of Mission Dr Andrew Choga, Zambia Police Deputy Inspector General, Dr. Solomon Jere Handover of cerficates.Photo-Chris Price_0

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday arrested five police officers from Chipata Central Police Station in Eastern Province for corrupt practices.

Those arrested are Felix Chalamba, 39, Cletus Lungu, 34, Malumo Sitwala, 40, Abigail Samatunga, 25, and Exhildah Kabanda aged 34.
ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono announced the arrest of the five police officers in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday.
“Details are that Felix Chalamba, Cletus Lungu and Malumo Malumo Sitwala have been charged with two counts,” Mr Moono said.
In the first count, the trio on September 13, 2013, being officers in the Zambia Police Service traffic section, jointly and whilst acting together corruptly solicited for K180 cash gratification from Samuel Phiri, a motorist.
Chalamba, Lungu and Malumo are alleged to have actually received K60 as an inducement or reward for themselves in order to release a motor vehicle driven by Mr Phiri, which the officers had impounded for overloading contrary to Section 19(1) as read with Section 41 of the Anti-Corruption Act number 3 of 2012.
In the second count, all the five officers have been charged with being in possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to Section 71 (1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act Number 19 of 2010.
It is alleged in the second count that Chalamba, Lungu, Sitwala, Samatunga and Kabanda on September 13, 2013 being officers in the Zambia Police Service traffic section jointly and whilst acting together, were found in possession of K3,000 cash reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Mr Moono said the arrested officers have since been released on bond and will appear in court soon.
Meanwhile, ACC has expressed surprise that despite it having written to the Zambia Police Service to indicate that investigations have been instituted against the five officers and that administrative action should be taken, no action has so far been taken.
Last Friday, Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone found five police officers, who were manning a road block in Chipata, with more than K3,000 cash, which they allegedly collected from erring motorists without issuing receipts.