Six accountants in Zambian Land Ministry suspended

April 13, 2007

Six accountants in Zambian Land Ministry have been suspended for alleged improper use of public funds and missing receipt books, Zambia Daily Mail reported Friday. Several others at the ministry have been written charge letters to exculpate themselves, failure to which they will also be suspended, according to the newspaper.
Permanent secretary of the ministry Bernard Namachila said here Thursday that he had decided to suspend the accountants and reprimand others in line with the government crusade to clean up the rot in the ministry.
He said he had asked the accountant in Kabwe who could not properly account for over 19 million kwacha (over 4,500 U.S. dollars) to exculpate himself, failure to which he too would be suspended. The suspension of the officers has resulted in a shortage of accounting staff and he has since requested the Finance Ministry of the country to provide support staff for the Land Ministry. Principal accountant Muketukwa Nalumino told the Parliamentary Public Accounting Committee (PAC) that when the accountant at the head quarters was asked about the missing receipt books, he said they were given to an officer who had since retired and could not be traced.
"But when we traced the retired officer, he denied having gotten the said books. This is when the accountant again told us that the books were given to a cashier who was very sick and not reporting for work. The cashier also refused. That is when the officer was suspended," Nalumino said. The PAC also heard that out of 24 cheques worth 343 million kwacha, four were forged. The matter has since been reported to the police who are currently investigating, she said. PAC chairperson Charles Milupi took Nalumino and other senior officers in the ministry to task for having sat on the information until it was raised. "The committee has difficulties in believing what you are telling us because it has taken about three years for you to bring up the matter. There seems to be a casual attitude by the ministry on following up cases of misuse of funds," Milupi said.

Last month Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa sacked deputy Land Minister for alleged corrupt involvement in the allocation of land only less than three weeks after the Land Minister was fired for the similar reason.
On Feb. 28, Mwanawasa with immediate effect terminated the appointment of Gladys Nyirongo as land minister after the revelation of corruption scandals surrounding several high officials in the ministry.
Xinhua...