Road safety agency drags ex-boss, Banda, to court for alleged failure to retire imprest

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has dragged its former Chief Executive Officer to court for alleged failure to retire imprest in the sum of K88,867.20 and wants the said amount deducted from his terminal benefits.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court on Monday, RTSA alleged that Gladwell Banda, between July 9, 2020 and December 12, 2021, undertook a number of trips outside Lusaka district on agency sponsorship but did not retire the imprest.

“The practice in the plaintiff agency is that on return from a trip that is sponsored by the plaintiff, officers are required to retire the amounts obtained through completion of an after-travel form showing the date of the trip and return date.

In the event of an officer returning early from a trip, the officer is required to retire the difference between the amount obtained in subsistence allowances and the amount actually consumed to the plaintiffs’ accounts department for accounting purposes,” RTSA explained.

However, RTSA established at the National Road Fund Agency tolling information regarding the movement of the vehicle the defendant was using, a Toyata land cruiser registration No. BAP 6882, he owed the agency K88,867.20 in unretired imprest.

The trips included: a meeting with Nyimba and Lundazi local authorities July, 2020, audit of road traffic accidents July 2020, allowances fuels for traffic enforcement patrols December,2020, festive season patrols December 2021, Easter Enforcement Patrol Sep 2021, institute of directors Zambia corporate governance conference May, 2022 and inspection of renovation Choma and Kazungula March, 2021.

“It has however since come to the attention of the plaintiff that the defendant is indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of K88,867.20 and it is the intention of the plaintiff to deduct the said sum from the money that is due to the defendant under cause number 2022/HP/1636,” the plaintiff stated.

RTSA has sought an order of the Lusaka High Court order that the consent judgment dated April 26, 2023 under number 2022/HP/1636 in which matter he had sued claiming about K1 million in unpaid terminal benefits be set aside.

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