Zambian Court Rejects Request in Major Corruption Case
The Lusaka Magistrates Court has declined a request for site visits to Zambian Air Force facilities as part of an ongoing USD573.9 million corruption case. The case involves Stardy Mwale, a former permanent defence secretary, concerning the acquisition of a Gulfstream Aerospace presidential jet in 2017. Chief Magistrate Davies Chibwili ruled on November 22 against the proposal to inspect air force sites in Lusaka, Ndola, and Livingstone, based on testimony concerns regarding the qualifications of the witness proposing the visits.
Charles Lungu, a former Ministry of Defence director of procurement, who testified in the case, admitted his role in signing off on procurement invoices for the Gulfstream jet, despite lacking detailed information about the contract terms and specifics. Lungu’s testimony revealed that the jet’s procurement process began in 2015, predating Mwale’s appointment, and was conducted through a single-source process.
Stardy Mwale, who was apprehended by Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in December 2022, faces multiple corruption-related charges. These include allegations of not adhering to proper procurement procedures in a USD400 million tender in 2017 intended for the modernization of the Zambian Defence Forces, which purportedly favored Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems Limited. Additionally, Mwale is accused of unlawfully altering a USD123.9 million contract in 2019, assigning it to Savenda Systems Limited, a Zambian representative for Elbit, and of facilitating a fraudulent USD50 million payment to Elbit for undelivered goods and services.
The case has also implicated other former officials, including ex-defence secretary Michael Obister Mbewe and former Ministry of Defence officials Frank Hardy Sinyangwe and Esabel Willima Chinji, who are also charged in connection with the corruption allegations.
In a related legal proceeding, the Economic and Financial Crimes Court in Zambia recently ordered the forfeiture of a farm linked to Mwale, which he reportedly acquired in 2019 for USD2.5 million using suspected proceeds from corruption. This acquisition was allegedly funded through a corrupt financing contract valued at USD47 million for supplying goods to the Ministry of Defence. The ACC had seized the farm in July 2022 as part of their ongoing investigations into the matter.
These developments signify a rigorous stance by Zambian judicial authorities in addressing high-level corruption, emphasizing the country’s commitment to upholding legal and ethical standards in public administration and defense procurement.
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