Katele, three others finally jailed

FORMER Finance Minister in the MMD administration Katele Kalumba and three others have lost their
appeal in the Supreme Court against their five-year jail term in the matter they were convicted for
corruption involving US$20 million paid to two US-based companies Systems Innovation and Wilbain
Incorporation for security installations at some strategic government institutions including Cabinet
Office.
The others are former Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Stella Chibanda and former directors of
the defunct Access Financial Services Limited Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu.
Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila yesterday dismissed the quartet’s appeal against their conviction which
was earlier upheld by the High Court in June 2013 after then Lusaka Magistrate Edward Musona had
jailed them in 2010.
Dr. Justice Malila quashed the four convicts’ grounds of appeal for lacking merit.
He also faulted former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lilian Siyunyi’s submissions to discharge
Kalumba and his fellow convicts.
He described Ms. Siyunyi’s submissions as strange.
Dr. Justice Malila said the Supreme Court, as the highest court in the land, has a duty to instill justice in a
befitting manner.
Dr. Justice Malila said the trial court was on firm ground and could not be faulted for finding Kalumba,
Chibanda, Kabwe and Chungu guilty as the prosecution proved allegations against them.
He ruled that the trial court gave good reasons as to why it convicted and sentenced the four to five
years each and ordered that the convicts start serving their five-year sentence immediately beginning
from yesterday.