Vehicles I got from ZRA were branded PF – driver

Vehicles I got from ZRA were branded PF – driver

A FORMER driver at Wanish lodge yesterday told the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that the vehicles he was asked to pick from ZRA by his boss were later branded PF.

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Allen Simpokolwe said between 2017 and 2018, he was working for a Mr Derick Mpundu and was assigned to work at Wanisha lodge which is owned by his wife.

“I was sent to go and collect vehicles from the ZRA yard. He (Mpundu) told me when I reach ZRA I should see the police officer at the gate and show him the gate pass,”he said.

Simpokolwe told the Court that when he was allowed to enter he was shown the vehicles and made to sign a book for their release.

“I was shown that all the vehicles in the documents. Derick Mpundu sent a toll truck  I had a vehicle I was using from the lodge. The vehicles were tolled to his farm,” the witness said.

“There were four vehicles, three Mitsubishi Pajero, and a Toyota Hilux and they were taken to Mpundu’s farm and I went back to the lodge.”

He said when he was assigned to work at the farm two months after collecting the vehicles from ZRA he discovered that the vehicles were branded PF and were given to cadres.

“I was able to identify the branded vehicles as the ones I got from ZRA because of the plate numbers,” Simpokolwe said.

“I was dismissed in 2018 over a bus that couldn’t start because it had a damaged starter motor and Mr Mpundu slapped me and dismissed me from employment.”

The prosecution made an application to move the court for scene visit in Lilayi at the police training college.

Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya asked the State to move the vehicles to court.

“I can’t be moving any how there should be a reason. For these one I will move but next time make arrangements and give me a reason,”she said.

In this matter, former ZRA director general Kingsley Chanda and Calitus Kaoma are charged with abuse of authority of office for disposing of 22 vehicles belonging to ZRA without following guidelines and prejudicing government.

Among the vehicles are 13 Mitsubishi pajeros, a Nissan hardbody, a Nissan Tida, Nissan microbus, a Toyota Corolla, four Toyota Hilux, and a Toyota prado.

She adjourned the case to August 9, 2024.

By Mwaka Ndawa

Kalemba July 17, 2024.