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The Namwala Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced two former officials of Namwala Town Council to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for corrupt practices involving a contract for the rehabilitation of 28 boreholes.
The two are Arthur Thole (37), of Nakonde District, who served as Director of Works at Namwala Town Council, and Kennedy Chifokolo (43), of Sinda District, who served as Coordinator for Water and Sanitation at the council.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Acting Head of Corporate Communications, Chilufya Chisanga confirmed the development in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday.
Chisanga said the two officials were arrested by the ACC in Choma District in 2023 and jointly charged with one count of making a document without authority, two counts of corrupt acquisition of public property and revenue, and one count of conflict of interest, contrary to the laws of Zambia.
In the first count, the court heard that between May 14, 2020 and July 28, 2020, in Namwala District, the two officials, acting together and without lawful authority, made and signed a document purporting to be a Form of Agreement between Namwala Town Council and Geotechno Rock Rollers Limited.
The agreement related to the full rehabilitation of 28 dysfunctional boreholes in Namwala District at a contract price of K294,000.
In the second count, the court heard that between May 14, 2020 and June 19, 2020, the two officials fraudulently facilitated the payment of K220,500 to Geotechno Rock Rollers Limited as an advance payment without due regard to service delivery and in violation of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2011.
Delivering judgment, Resident Magistrate Masautso Chimtavu found Thole and Chifokolo guilty on all four counts and sentenced them to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour, effective February 27, 2026.
Meanwhile, the third accused in the matter, Oris Simukombo, an accountant at Namwala Town Council who had been charged with one count of abuse of authority of office, was acquitted.
“The Anti-Corruption Commission wishes to reiterate that misuse of public resources will not be tolerated,” Chisanga said.
She added that the Commission remained resolute in its mandate to investigate and prosecute corruption in both the public and private sectors and urged members of the public to report suspected cases in order to safeguard public resources.
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