By PEZO SIABASIMBI

THE Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested and jointly charged an accounts clerk at Kabwe Municipal Council and two business executives for money laundering activities involving over K40,000.

According to a Press statement released yesterday, Bright Mwitamunga 23, of Kabwe’s Highridge area was arrested and jointly charged with Emmanuel Mwale 53, a business executive of the same abode and Martin Mwale 45, a business executive of Lusaka’s Thornpark area.

DEC public relations officer Theresa Katongo said the trio was charged for theft by servant, uttering of false documents and money laundering.

Particulars of the offence were that Mwitamunga between December 1, 2013 and January 4, 2014, while being employed as an accounts clerk at Kabwe Municipal Council stole a cheque amounting to K47,211.93 and gave it to Emmanuel Mwale his landlord.

Emmanuel Mwale then connived with his brother Martin a business executive of Lusaka to incorporate a company called Zenith Recreation Agency (ZRA) to open an account with Stanbic bank and later withdrew K35,000.

The cheque in question was payable to Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

Ms Katongo also said that the commission had in the last four days arrested more than 30 people countrywide for unlawful cultivation and trafficking in various quantities of cannabis.

She said those arrested include Kennedy Chisanga Nthwembwa 42, a peasant farmer of Margret Nthwembwa village in Serenje for trafficking in 17.03 kg of cannabis, Steven Chola 20, a peasant farmer of the same village for unlawful cultivation of cannabis intercropped with maize weighing 51.4kg and Rita Chalwe 40, a housewife of Kafironda in Mufulira for trafficking in 2.8 kg of loose cannabis.

Also arrested and jointly charged is Clephius Kunda 28, a peasant farmer of Margret Nthwembwa village in Serenje and Winter Lupenga 52, also a peasnt farmer of the same village for unlawful cultivation of cannabis weighing 49.73kg and trafficking in loose cannabis weighing 11.4kg.