Corruption Countdown: The Arrest Of Southern Province Permanent Security And Senior Government Accountant

In the run-up to his first year as president, Open Zambia will be counting down the top ten corruption arrests made by President Hakainde Hichilema in the last year.

To kick off our corruption countdown, we’re starting the series with the arrest of the Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Sibanze Simuchoba and Cheelo Chiyanika, a senior accountant at the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection.

 In October last year, the Anti-Corruption Committee arrested, Sibanze Simuchoba, and Cheelo Chiyanika over allegations based on the Wilful Failure to Follow Procedure and Fraudulent False Accounting involving over K623,000.

Mr Simuchoba, along with Enoce Kashweka, former principle accountant, and Linda Siwale, a Chief Planner in Choma, was charged with One Count of Willful Failure to Follow Procedure contrary to Section 34 (2)(b) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.3 of 2012.

The law was broken by failing to get written approval from the Secretary to the Treasury when transferring funds from a named account.

Additionally, Mr Simuchoba and Mr Kashweka were also charged with Willful Failure to Follow Procedure which involved the transfer of funds from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Relief Account to another account, once again without written approval from the Secretary.

Meanwhile, Mr Chiyanika was among ten others who were charged with a count of fraudulent false accounting for falsifying retirement entries of different amounts paid as interest.

The crackdown on accountancy fraud is a key step in removing all forms of corruption in Zambia and ensuring that funds are lawfully allocated to benefit the country’s economy and therefore, subsequently, its development.