Former Health Minister Charged Amidst Spate of Anti-Corruption Arrests

Former Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya has been arrested on charges of conspiracy to defraud the state of $17 million USD.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has confirmed in a statement; “The Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested former Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya, together with Former Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Caroline Mulalelo Kakulubelwa and three Honeybee Directors for corruption, involving US $17,958,150.”

The two former public servants and the three directors of Honeybee Pharmacy have been jointly charged on the case relating to a government tender to supply and deliver 22,500 health centre kits.

All involved deny the charges and have been released on bond.

This is not the first time Dr Chilufya has been charged regarding corruption. In 2020 Chilufya was suspected of having stolen around US $2.5 million from his ministry. However, according to the local news outlet, Zambian Watchdog, he was not arrested after three government officials allegedly threatened investigators.

In August 2020 he was cleared by Zambian courts over allegations of using money from the proceeds of crime to acquire property, shares in a tourism firm, and a passenger boat from the UAE. The Court ruled the prosecution had brought insufficient evidence for conviction.

Wednesday’s arrest of the former minister came as part of a spate of anti-corruption and anti-graft activity.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) arrested opposition politician Kelvin Bwalya Fube for allegedly contravening money laundering laws. Failure to report a suspicious transition is contrary to the Financial Intelligence Centre and Money Laundering Acts. Lusaka businessman Bwalya Kalandanya was arrested for laundering of over K6 million and Journalist Margaret Musonda was arrested for possession of property worth $1m USD suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

Back in 2020, Zambia ranked 113th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2020. Hichilema has previously described historic corruption levels as “horrifying” and has repeatedly emphasised his administration’s commitment to rooting it out.

Since coming to power, Hichilema has attempted to empower the Anti-Corruption Commission to act decisively and independently. Dr Chilufya is not the first former politician to be arrested, with former Justice Minister Given Lubinda and Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji arrested earlier in the year.

Image: Former Health Minister Chilufya Attends National Food and Nutrition Summit via Flickr