DETAILS YAMBA’S JUDGEMENT: Fredson Yamba Convicted on Counts 1 and 2 in Corruption Trial

DETAILS YAMBA’S JUDGEMENT: Fredson Yamba Convicted on Counts 1 and 2 in Corruption Trial

Lusaka | Sept 3, 2025

Fredson Yamba, former Secretary to the Treasury, has been convicted on Counts 1 and 2 in the high-profile corruption trial alongside former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji.

Magistrate Irene Wishimanga, in delivering her judgment at the Lusaka Magistrate Court, found that Yamba unlawfully authorised the release of public funds for the procurement of embassy property in Turkey without following laid-down procedure and in violation of the law.

Count 1 & 2: Abuse of Office and Unlawful Authorisation of Funds
According to the judgment now being read:

Count 1: Yamba abused the authority of his office by approving the disbursement of approximately USD 4.6 million for the purchase of property for the Zambian Mission in Turkey, outside the approved budgetary framework and without parliamentary approval.

Count 2: He acted in breach of financial regulations by circumventing procurement protocols, failing to obtain Cabinet authority, and neglecting to engage the Ministry of Works and Supply (now Infrastructure), the mandated agency for government real estate acquisitions.

The court has ruled that Yamba’s actions enabled the diversion of state funds, and directly facilitated the laundering that followed in subsequent counts tied to Malanji.

What This Means:

While sentencing is still pending and other counts are under review, this conviction on Counts 1 and 2 mark a serious blow to Yamba’s legacy as one of Zambia’s most powerful technocrats.