By NATION REPORTER
A STATE witness has discredited his own report in which he had alleged that former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji had carried bags of money amounting to US$4.6 million meant for the purchase of a Chancery for the Zambian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”4,5,6″ ihc_mb_template=”2″ ]
Mr Mishek Kaoma, a former diplomat at the Zambian Embassy in Ankara on Monday told the Lusaka magistrate court that a report that was submitted during investigations of the procurement of the Chancery in Turkey was containing both the truth and lies.
Mr Kaoma had previously told the court that Malanji had flown to Ankara in a presidential jet with bags full of money amounting to US$4.6 million
But on Monday, when the matter came up for cross examination, Mr Kaoma told the Court that the report before him was in fact showing that the purported money was not put in Malanji vehicle
He was testifying in a matter former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba and former foreign affairs Minister Malanji are charged with ten counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
In this matter, Yamba is charged with two counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures while Malanji is facing eight counts of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
In his submissions to court, Mr. Kaoma said the dealings involved Mr. Sam Sakenda and Joseph Chilengi (late).
He said according to the report titled Turkey – Zambia Embassy Returns, there was nowhere in the report where it showed that Malanji was either given the money or got the bags of money. When asked by Mr Makebi Zulu, Zambia’s renowned lawyer if he was the one who investigated and compiled the data, Mr Kaoma confessed that he not have any hand in the compiling of the report and that whatever was contained therein was only gathered for him.
Mr Kaoma also submitted that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning was not involved in the procurement of the properties and neither was it involved in the distribution of the funds that were sent to the embassy.
It is alleged in the first count that between January, 1, 2020 and August, 31, 2021 at Lusaka, being Secretary to the Treasury, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did willfully fail to comply with the law in the manner he allegedly allocated and authorised the transfer of K108, 401, 197.00 to the Zambian Mission Account in Turkey for the procurement of real estate among others.
It is also alleged in the other counts that Malanji between January, 1, 2020 and August, 31, 2021 in Lusaka possessed a BELL 430 JET RANGER Helicopter, property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.
Matter comes on July 20 for continued cross -examination.
[/ihc-hide-content]
