BY SIMON MUNTEMBA
DEVELOPMENT Bank of Zambia (DBZ) managing director, Samuel Bwalya, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for alleged abuse of authority of office involving K780, 000.
Mr Bwalya, 51, of House no. 28, Sugar Street in New Avondale, Lusaka, has been charged with 12 Counts of abuse of authority of office for allegedly having arbitrarily directed the payments of school fees for his children using public funds belonging to the bank.
ACC spokesperson Queen Chibwe confirmed the arrest of Mr Bwalya to the Daily Nation in a statement yesterday.
“Details of the offence are that on multiple occasions between May 1, 2020 and July 30, 2021, Bwalya, a public officer, namely, Managing Director for Development Bank of Zambia, did abuse the authority of his office in the manner he arbitrarily directed the payments of school fees for his children using public funds belonging to Development Bank of Zambia, an act prejudicial to the rights and interests of the government, a matter or transaction that involved the said public body,” Ms Chibwe said.
She said Mr Bwalya, using public funds, made 12 separate payments of £15, 980, equivalent to K 417, 900.97, R 106, 324, equivalent to K 132, 435.09, and R 90, 205, equivalent to K130, 709.94 for his children’s tuition fees.
“Other payments were R35,160.61 equivalent to K39,028.28, K10, 540, K 9, 000, K 8,111.50, K 8,420, K6,980, K6, 840, K6, 560, and K 4, 670. The funds were paid to different schools in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Zambia,” Ms Chibwe said.
She said Mr Bwalya had since been released on bond and would appear in Court soon.
Meanwhile, Ms Chibwe said the commission had arrested Chirundu District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), and two other officials for theft and forgery contrary to the laws of Zambia. She said Veronica Mubanga, 53, of Chirundu High Cost, had been charged with one count of theft by Public Servant contrary to Section 277 as read together with Section 265 of the Penal Code, Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Ms Chibwe named others that were arrested as Obert Sibajene, 50, of House Number 8, Teachers’ Compound, Chirundu Secondary School, who is the Chirundu District Guidance and Counseling Coordinator (DGCC) and Njekwa Njekwa, aged 41 of Mazongolo Compound, the Chirundu District Resource Centre Coordinator (DRCC).
She explained that Mr Sibajene had been charged with one count of Forgery while Njekwa, has been charged with two counts of forgery.
“Sibajene and Njekwa on separate occasions, forged an Accounts Form 44A purporting to be a retirement form for a certain Eddie Zaza when in fact not,’ she said.
She said the trio have since been released on bond and would appear in court soon.
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