Former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba says he will be able to give his side of the story concerning his arrest once all court proceedings are concluded.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Yamba said “the media should follow proceedings through court. Because I have been arrested and trial is going on, I can not give a comment”.
The Anti-Corruption Commission arrested the former secretary to the treasury for corrupt practices involving over US$33 million on 4 May 2022.
According to a statement issued by ACC Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Timothy Moono, Yamba 62, was arrested and charged with one count of willful failure to comply with applicable law and procedure relating to procurement contrary to section 32 (2) (b) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.3 of 2012.
Moono said in 2018, Yamba did not follow procedure when he authorised an advance payment of US$33, 750, 000 to China Energy Engineering Group-Hunan Electric Power Design Institute Co. Ltd for the construction of FTJ Chiluba University in Mansa and Kasama under the Ministry of Higher Education. The said money was paid to the contractor but to date no university has been constructed.
In the same matter, ACC also arrested Joseph Phiri, an architect at the Ministry of Higher Education for attempting to fraudulently facilitate a payment amounting to US$ 29, 186, 169.09 to China Energy Engineering Group-Hunan Electric Power Design Institute Co.Ltd.
Phiri, 57 of Lusaka , was charged with one count of fraudulent facilitation of payment contrary to section 34 (2) (a) as read together with section 40 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act No.3 of 2012.
Being an architect at the ministry and Project Manager for the construction of FTJ Chiluba University in Mansa and Kasama in 2018, Phiri attempted to fraudulently facilitate a payment to the Chinese company by signing and issuing an interim payment certificate No.2 valued at US$ 29, 186, 169.09 with an inflated sum of US$7, 578, 772.41 for goods purportedly supplied when in fact not.
