MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND BANK OFFICIALS ARRESTED OVER K100,000 SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME FRAUD IN MKUSHI
By Nelson Zulu
The Anti-Corruption Commission-ACC has arrested Ministry of Education officials and bank staff in connection with a probe involving over K100,000 linked to the school feeding programme in Mkushi district.
ACC Acting Head of Corporate Communications, Chilufya Chisanga, identified the suspects as Patrick Nkhuwa and Nakeempa Okello from the Mkushi District Education Board Secretary’s office, along with bank employees Joseph Mwape and Dennis Charles Baines.
Ms. Chisanga says the two Ministry of Education officials have been charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to Section 21 of the Anti-Corruption Act, while Mr. Nkhuwa faces additional counts of corrupt practices, and Okello faces a further corrupt-practices count under Section 19.
She says the bank employees are also charged with corrupt practices with a public officer under Section 19(2), arising from transactions between November and December 2025 which were inducements to facilitate the award of a government contract to Ichikwanka Multi-Purpose Cooperative despite the cooperative not meeting required supplier standards.
Ms. Chisanga says investigations show the contract covered more than 350 x 50kg bags of beans, valued at K1,073,000, with cash payments totaling tens of thousands of kwacha allegedly made to DEBS officials as part of the scheme.
She says all four suspects have been released on police bond and are due to appear in court as the ACC continues its probe into alleged misuse of funds under the school feeding programme administered by the Ministry of Education.
PHOENIX NEWS