OPC accounts assistant caught with K3m, arrested
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), in pursuit of current cash-gate scandal, on Friday arrested Frank Mwanza, Assistant Accountant in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) who has been found in possession of K3 million cash.
The arrest follows ACB’s investigations in relation to reports that Accounts Assistant for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Patrick Sithole was found with cash amounting to K120 million in August 2013.
Sithole who was granted bail has been re-arrested and remanded at Maula prison for contravening bail conditions.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, ACB Senior Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala, said the investigations found that on 26th August, 2013, Frank Mwanza made three payment vouchers that resulted into payment of over K1 billion to International Procurement Services.
“It also established that Frank Mwanza tampered with information about the three transactions in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS),” Ndala explained.
Ndala said the bureau established that there was no contract between government and International Procurement Services.
ACB has since charged Mwanza on the following possible charges with corrupt performance of functions by a public officer contrary to 25A (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act and abuse of office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.
“The Bureau officers went to search his house after the arrest and found him with cash amounting to K1.3 million Kwacha,” she added.
Mwanza is expected to be taken to court soon after interviewed on the matter.