Africa-Press – Zambia. THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested former Acting Permanent Secretary for Administration at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sivah Kachimba, together with senior officials from the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) and directors of private companies, in relation to alleged procurement malpractices in the health sector.
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The arrests, confirmed this morning at a press briefing in Lusaka, are part of the Commission’s ongoing investigations into alleged corruption, forgery, money laundering and abuse of authority in the management of medical supplies.
DEC director general Nason Banda said the fresh arrests bring the number of people implicated in the matter to 10, following four earlier arrests of top ZAMMSA and Ministry of Health officials earlier this year.
Dr. Kachimba is accused of willfully failing to follow laid-down procedures in the awarding of contracts at the Ministry of Health.
At ZAMMSA, procurement specialist Japhet Phiri has been charged with forgery and uttering false documents, while senior procurement officers Sipho Banda and Chanda Napanje are accused of conspiring to commit a felony.
Napanje is also facing additional charges of forgery and uttering false documents.
From the private sector, the Commission charged Godfrey Kabengele, a director at Mukushi Business Venture, with dealing in allied substances without a pharmaceutical license and for money laundering.
Another businessman, Kankomba Kakompe, who runs Lumumba Pharmaceuticals, is facing charges of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences and money laundering.
His co-accused, Nchimunya Collins Habadu is still on the run and is wanted for obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences as well as forgery and uttering false documents.
Banda said the Commission’s aim is not only to bring suspects before the courts but also to help government revisit policy direction in the management of medical supply services.
He stressed that reforms are necessary to prevent a recurrence of what he described as long-standing irregularities that have undermined the health sector.
Earlier this year, DEC also arrested Victor Nyasulu, former ZAMMSA Director General; Nalishebo Siyandi, former Director of Supply Planning at ZAMMSA; Benjamin Nsenje, a former Ministry of Health finance manager; and Collins Nchimunya Habad, former ZAMMSA Director of Procurement.
In a separate development, the Commission revealed that it had successfully secured the forfeiture of several properties in Chirundu District believed to be proceeds of crime.
These include 9.5 hectares of land along the Zambezi River, 70 hectares of land near Chiwena School with structures, 10 hectares along the Siavonga Road, 43.1 hectares in Mwiingi Village along the Kafue River, and a 170-hectare farm near Zamtel Farm.
Investigations have further uncovered that the same owner acquired 2,000 hectares of land in Siavonga, which was later subdivided into 250-hectare plots and registered under various names, including company entities.
DEC further I ndicated that steps are being taken to also forfeit these properties to the state.
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