Former ZRA chief, Chanda, begins six-year jail term over vehicle disposal scandal

With a worried look etched on his face and shoulders slumped in disbelief, former Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General, Kingsley Chanda, walked into court on Monday to begin his six-year jail sentence.

Chanda, once the powerful head of the nation’s tax authority under the Patriotic Front (PF) government, was convicted for failing to follow proper procedures in the disposal of government vehicles—a scandal that saw some of the cars later branded for PF campaign activities.

His co-accused, former ZRA Director of Administration, Callistus Kaoma, was handed a nine-year sentence.

Chanda appeared visibly shocked and dejected in court, insisting during his defense that he never personally authorized the disposal of the vehicles, claiming that such decisions were reserved for the ZRA board.

However, testimony from Sitali Mulozi, a former ZRA administration manager, painted a different picture.

Read more: Ex-Zambia Revenue Authority boss, Chanda, denies selling vehicles to Patroitic Front

Magistrate Sylvia Muyinya, acting Chief Resident Magistrate, described Mulozi as an “accomplice witness” who revealed that vehicles intended for internal staff tenders were removed and later allocated to the PF for party mobilization and campaign use.

Evidence presented in court showed that some cars were registered using employees’ details without their consent.

The prosecution argued that Chanda and Kaoma deliberately bypassed established asset disposal procedures, with some vehicles excluded from official adverts and misrepresented as eligible for sale.

In mitigation, Chanda highlighted his long record of public service, describing himself as a family man supporting numerous dependents, including an ailing mother.

He pleaded for leniency, arguing that his decisions were made in what he believed were the institution’s best interests.

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