Lupando benefited from corruptly allocated plots, witness tells court

Lupando benefited from corruptly allocated plots, witness tells court
By Inonge Noyoo
Monday October 22, 2007 [04:00]

A witness in the abuse of authority case involving suspended Lands Commissioner Frightone Sichone on Friday revealed that former vice president Lupando Mwape benefited from the corruptly allocated Mass Media plots. Chabala Mulenga a lands officer was testifying before Magistrate Aridah Chulu in the case in which Sichone is charged with three counts of abuse of authority contrary to section 37 (2) (a) and 41 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act number 42 of 1996.

Sichone is alleged to have on January 20, 2006 being a person employed in the public service namely Ministry of Lands as commissioner of lands abused his authority of office by allocating property number LUS/35178 Mass Media on title number 75822 to Musenge Mwewa without following procedure thereby directly or indirectly obtaining property or advantage.

On the second count, Sichone on the same day allegedly allocated property number LUS/35185 Mass Media on title number 45036 to Mesinala Namukoko without following procedure. On the third count, he allegedly allocated property number LUS/35210 Mass Media on title number 49502 dated April 6, 2006 to Mizumbi Farms Limited a company in which he is co-director and majority shareholder without following procedure.

Sichone on the last count allegedly allocated property number LUS/35211 Mass media on title number 50036 dated April 21, 2006 to Mizumbi Farms Limited in which he is co-director and majority shareholder without following procedure thereby directly or indirectly obtaining property or advantage.

Mulenga said the Mass Media land not only benefit ZAF but also former vice president Lupando Mwape, justice minister George Kunda, former defence minister Wamundila Muliokela and his deputy Patricia Nawa, former permanent secretary Joel Chitafu, Gen Evans Chengeta and Peter Machungwa.

She said she met most of the applicants for the land in question and that another lands officer Sarah Mulwanda issued the offer letters for the said lands.

Mulenga said the Ministry of Lands had no final lists of people who benefited from Mass Media land.

Mulenga denied having generated offer letters for plot number 35178 and 35185 belonging to Sichone and his wife Musenge Mwelwa.

“ Though I am the lands officer in charge of investigating and advising on land issues, I did not investigate about this particular one because I received instructions from Sichone to prepare offer letters and did not question as he was my boss,” she said.

Mulenga said Sichone played a role in facilitating that the ZAF land benefited other people after the former lands commissioner substituted the original lists prepared by Mulenga with other names.

Mulenga said not all of the people appearing on the offer letters list were from ZAF.
She said the former commissioner of lands should be the best to know who prepared the list of people with offer letters at the Mass Media area.

The matter comes up on November 26, 28 and 29 for continued trial.