.MUMBA

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

A WITNESS from the Auditor General’s office yesterday told a Lusaka magistrates’ court that the money MMD president Nevers Mumba is alleged to have stolen while serving as a diplomat in Canada was public money which should have been accounted for.
Joel Manyonga, an auditor, told chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda during cross-examination by Mumba’s defence lawyer Makebi Zulu that although the money was deposited in a private account, it was still Government money.
In this case, Mumba is charged with abuse of authority and willful failure to comply with applicable procedure relating to management of public funds.
It is alleged that Mumba between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 at the Zambian High Commission in Canada willfully failed to comply with laid-down procedures in receiving and disbursing CAD$122,229.85, a donation to the Zambian Government from Barrick Gold Corporation.
Mumba  is further alleged to have between October 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 abused his authority of office by awarding contracts valued at CAD$9,000, CAD$19,850 CAD$5,248 for electrical works, carpeting and construction of a deck at the Zambian high commissioner’s residence in Canada.
The contracts were awarded to three Canadian private companies, Restcon Construction Services, Argos Carpet Limited and Stanmark Construction, respectively, without following laid-down procedure.
Mr Manyonga told the court that since Mumba sourced the money in his capacity as high commissioner and using Government property such as letter heads, the money was viewed as public funds.
He said the audit conducted revealed that CAD$ 30,419.34 was uncounted for because the mission failed to produce receipts relating to the money despite the bank statement showing that the money was withdrawn.
Mr Manyonga said the more than CAD$12,000 which was paid to an event planner was wasted money because the commission’s liaison officer, Carolina Rodriquez, was the one who organised the event.