MWAKA FREIGHT CARGO OFFICIAL JAILED TWO YEARS FOR K70,000 BRIBE
By ZR Reporter
The Lusaka Subordinate Court has sentenced Mwaka Freight Cargo Head of Customs Mukanta Shapi to two years in prison for offering a K70,000 bribe to a wildlife officer in an attempt to secure the release of two impounded trucks.
Shapi was convicted of one count of Corrupt Practices with a Public Officer following a prosecution by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Chief Resident Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya handed down the two-year simple imprisonment sentence on September 3, 2026, with the sentence taking effect from the date of judgment.
The ACC said investigations established that between November 1 and November 30, 2024, Shapi, acting together with other unidentified individuals, offered K70,000 to Bright Nkhoma, a Wildlife Ranger with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).
The commission said Shapi actually handed over K40,000 in cash as an inducement for Nkhoma to facilitate the release of two trucks that had been impounded by the department.
The trucks, owned by AMS Logistics, were carrying timber and comprised two horse-and-trailer units.
Shapi was arrested by the ACC in November 2024 and charged under Section 19(2), as read with Section 41, of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia.
The ACC has warned members of the public against offering bribes to public officers, saying the conviction demonstrates that corrupt conduct carries serious legal consequences.
The commission said the sentence should serve as a deterrent to individuals who attempt to influence public officers through financial inducements.
-Zambia Reports | September 4, 2026