By ADRIAN MWANZA –
THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said it received 368 reports of suspected cases of corruption in the first quarter of this year.
ACC public relations manger Timothy Moono said this during the first quarter Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Moono said the ACC instituted investigations in 66 cases which contained features of corruption.
He said 39 reports lacked sufficient details to institute investigations and were subsequently referred to relevant authorities for administrative action.
Mr Moono said 263 reports did not have elements of corruption and the complainants were advised to pursue the cases using other avenues.
Mr Moono said at the close of the first quarter, the Commission recorded five arrests.
Among them was the arrest of Livingstone Mayor Milford Maambo, who is Mosi-oa-Tunya Ward councillor, and former Town Clerk Chabala Chanda for corruption involving K164,000.
Mr Moono said other high-profile cases included the arrest of former Luapula Province deputy Permanent Secretary Alfred Sakala together with an assistant procurement officer for failure to comply with applicable procedures.
“These two were arrested for failing to comply with the applicable procedures contrary to Section 34 (2) of the ACC Act after they stole K47,763 and were subsequently arrested on August 13, 2015,” Mr Moono said.
He said former Electoral Commission of Zambia deputy director for information technology, Mpundu Mfula was convicted by the Lusaka magistrate’s court for corrupt practices involving US$90,000.
“Apart from these, two Chinese nationals and a Zambian were arrested for corrupt practices involving K180,000. They offered a bribe to officers of the taskforce on illegal trade in biological resources in order for the officers to release some impounded trucks,” Mr Moono said.