. Mwewa (left), Masebo (right)

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –
FORMER Agriculture and Livestock deputy minister Rodgers Mwewa and former Cabinet Office permanent secretary Anne Mwitwa Mwewa face arrest for abuse of authority.
Mr Mwewa, who is Patriotic Front Mwansabombwe Member of Parliament, was dropped by President Michael Sata as deputy minister last December with his Labour and Social Security counterpart Ronald Chitotela to facilitate their probe.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has since referred Mr Mwewa to the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) for prosecution.
Mr Mwewa is alleged to have misapplied the Constituency Development Funds in Mwansabombwe.
The ACC has also referred the abuse of authority of office case against the former permanent secretary at Cabinet Office in charge of administration Ms Mwewa to the NPA for consent to prosecute.
The commission has further concluded investigations into former Tourism and Arts minister Sylvia Masebo, who is accused of abuse of authority of her office in the manner she is alleged to have feted some named traditional leader using public funds during a civil matter in court against her.
Ms Masebo is also alleged to have abused the authority of her former office as minister of Tourism and Arts in the manner she cancelled the hunting concessions awarded by the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).
ACC corporate affairs manager Timothy Moono said investigations into Ms Masebo’s case had reached an advanced stage and that the evidence that was collected was being analysed.
The ACC has also filed a notice of appeal in the High Court against the magistrates’ court’s decision to acquit former Ministry of Health human resource officer Henry Kapoko and four others over corruption cases on abuse of public funds amounting to more than K4 million.
Mr Moono said during the third quarter media briefing held at the ACC head office in Lusaka yesterday that despite Mr Kapoko’s acquittal, he was still appearing for trial over other different counts in relation to the alleged theft of more than K10 million public funds at the Ministry of Health exposed in 2009.
Meanwhile, the ACC has arrested a former chief executive officer for the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) for corrupt practices.
The commission arrested Butler Asimbuyu Sitali, 52, for corrupt practices contrary to Section 19 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of the laws of Zambia.
Details of the first count are that between September 1 and 24, 2014, Sitali is alleged to have corruptly offered and gave K500 cash gratification to an employee at ERB as an inducement for him to illegally obtain copies of documents from ERB.
In the second count on the same dates, Sitali allegedly corruptly offered K500 and gave K100 cash gratification to an employee at ERB as an inducement for him to further illegally obtain more copies of documents from ERB.
Sitali has been released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court soon.