FREDSON YAMBA ACTED IN NATIONAL INTEREST – ARRESTING OFFICER

FREDSON YAMBA ACTED IN NATIONAL INTEREST – ARRESTING OFFICER

…says government wanted to buy properties in Turkey to ease the pressure on the Treasury

Lusaka… Wednesday, October 9, 2024

A Senior Assistant Commissioner and Director in charge of Anti-Money Laundering Unit at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Kwaleyela Mukelebai has disclosed that the former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba acted in the national interest regarding the property in Turkey.

This is in a matter where former Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Joseph Malanji and former Mr Yamba are charged with wilful failure to comply with procedure relating to procurement, and being in possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Testifying before Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, yesterday, Mr Mukelebai, the arresting officer in the matter said he was familiar with the functions of the secretary to the Treasury to manage public funds.

He added that funding government projects is also among the roles of the Secretary to the Treasury.

And in the middle of cross examination, the witness turned argumentative as he didn’t want to answer the questions the way defense lawyer Godfrey Mwamba wanted them to be answered.

When Mr Mwamba asked the witness to calm down, the witness said “we are not fighting, so relax yourself as well.”

The witness however disclosed that Article 203 of the Constitution of Zambia, which Mr Yamba is accused of having breached is not in the Charge Sheet.

This was after he argued that the Article in question was in the Charge Sheet, but admitted it wasn’t after the defense lawyer challenged him to show the court where on the Charge Sheet the Article was.

Mr Mukelebai also admitted that if the budget allocation has not been exceeded, there is no need for a supplementary budget.

Regarding the properties in Turkey, he said government wanted to buy properties to ease the pressure on the Treasury.

“So you and I would agree there was a need to buy the properties to ease the pressure,” asked Counsel Mwamba, to which the witness responded by saying “generally, there was a need everywhere to buy such properties.”

The witness also testified that former Permanent Secretary for Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ronald Simwinga was told to get a loan for the purchase of the properties in question.

Amongst the documented “proof” he brought before court to that effect was an alleged letter from State House to Mr Yamba on the need to get a loan for the purchase of the said property.

Mr Mukelebai said after March 2020, Dr Simwinga wrote a letter, addressed to Mr Yamba regarding the terms of the loan the Turkish government offered Zambia regarding the purchase of the said property.

When asked if Dr Simwinga submitted the agreement to Mr Yamba, the witness said “according to the letter he submitted.”

He said the submission was meant to enable the Ministry of Finance review terms of the agreement.

Mr Mukelebai said Ministry of finance did not want to contract the loan because it would have affected the treasury’s ability to finance the budget.

He added that “Mr Yamba was acting in the best interest of government, according to the letter.”