JAILED former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji alias Bonanza, and his co-convict, Fredson Yamba, have appealed against their jail terms.
The convicts also want to be released on bail pending determination of their appeals before the Lusaka High Court.
On Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Court jailed Mr Malanji to four years imprisonment with hard labour for possession of illicitly obtained properties.
The assets include two helicopters, three houses plus over US$200,000 cash, all deemed to be proceeds of crime.
On the other hand, Mr Yamba, who is former Secretary to the Treasury was jailed three years for wilful failure to comply with the law and procedure guideline procurement of public properties.
This is linked to the manner he authorized transfer of K108million and K45million for purchase of a chancery at the Zambian Mission in Turkey.
The prosecution had alleged that the transfered money was later diverted and used to acquire assets belonging to Mr Malanji
Acting Lusaka chief resident magistrate Irene Wishimanga said the allegations against the accused were proved on a balance of probability, before she jailed them.
Mr Malanji was jailed four years on each of the seven counts he was found guilty while Mr Yamba was jailed three years on each of the two counts, to all run currently(side by side).
Unhappy with the judgement, the convicts have appealed against their sentences and also applied to be released on bail pending determination of their appeal.
The magistrate is scheduled to hear the bail application on September 15, 2025.
But some sections of society feel the four year jail term imposed on Mr Malanji is too lenient considering the high value assets involved in the money laundering scandal.
Vision Network Foundation executive director Maxwell Luchile says the punishment on the former Kwacha lawmaker is not deterrent in the fight against corruption.
Bishop Luchile has urged Drug Enforcement Commission, who were prosecuting the case, to consider appealing against the ‘small’ sentence.
“We also call on the Director of Public Prosecutions to promptly appeal this sentence,” Bishop Luchile said in a statement.
“We regret that the Honourable Magistrate missed a critical opportunity to set a stern example for future offenders.
“This degree of leniency risks sending the message that politically connected individuals are above the law and can escape with minimal consequences when they misuse the people’s resources. It is crucial to remember that any elective public office is a position of trust, held on behalf of the citizens of Zambia,”.
Bishop Luchile has urged Minister of Justice Princess Kasune to consider introducing a public bill in the National Assembly to strengthen penalties for such offenses.
(Mwebantu, Saturday, 6th September, 2025)
Here is an opportunity to make it 15yrs.They really take this country for a joke having this audacity to appeal. Prosecutors should make a good example of these 2 thieves,good 17yrs in prison
Indeed it’s an opportunity to oppose and counter appeal to multiply his appeal by5.5. This guy even had the audacity to move and hide the helicopters to SA just like we see others fighting to bury their beloved one there. SA is a place looted assets to hide. This is an opportunity to blow everything open with the help of Interpol and other crime intelligence organisations and the money laundering association.
DPP should seize the opportunity to make a cross appeal against sentence.
This is the problem with having politically influenced court convictions. I can see Malanji winning this appeal. The issue with these convictions is not whether Hakainde’s enemy stole or not. It is not whether the evidence was sufficient to result in a conviction. In a police state, there is only every one person that decides who gets arrested, and who gets convicted. He that appoints judges can make such decisions. And now that DEC have decided not to appeal this “lenient” sentence, one wonders if there is more to the conviction than what praise singers think, the vast of whom are not educated, should I add. When people with the right names, like MWIIINGA, get acquitted of gross corruption, one can correctly point at prevalent selective justice, tribalism and unnatural persecution of anything that does not Moo Moo like the perpetrator. It is indeed an animal farm.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
You are living in your own world dreaming.Wake up you will urinate.Tribalists like you will always point fingers at innocent people forgetting who they are, start believing in their own lies cause they are mentally challenged.You are not coming back people keep on dreaming.It will be 20yrs in opposition.UNIP,MMD never came back,whats so special with bakawalala for them to come back?Ikona man
PF will never come back and you will see after 2026 how everyone will run away from PF the boat will be abandoned after the election.
Indigo Tyrol has shown his chikala face once again.
What a moron and lungu lover. Chikala cha wiso