Maravi

Chibanda testifies on repeat payments for village complex

Chibanda testifies on repeat payments for village complex
Written by Maluba Jere
Thursday, June 04, 2009 11:33:55 PM

FORMER finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda yesterday narrated in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court how a multiplicity of repeat payment installments were made for the renegotiated agreements on the village complex. This is in a matter where Chibanda and six others are charged with 21 counts of corruption.

This is in a case involving Chibanda, former finance minister and current MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, former director of budget Boniface Nonde, former chief economist Bede Mpande, former secretary to the treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene and former directors of Access Financial Services Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu.

Testifying before High Court deputy director of operations Edward Musona, sitting as magistrate, Chibanda said it was okay to have a multiplicity of repeats of payment installments.

During cross examination by Task Force Prosecutor Mutembo Nchito, Chibanda said the multiple installments did not make her uncomfortable and that the numbering was not deliberate.

This was after Nchito asked Chibanda why there were records showing payment installments even after she wrote a letter indicating that that was supposed to be the ninth and final payment installment on the renegotiated agreements on the village complex.

She explained that all the additional installments were at the request of the Office of the President special division adding that they were valued at US $650,000.

Asked by Nchito if she agreed with him that there was something wrong with the numbering, Chibanda responded in the affirmative but said there was nothing wrong with the payments.

She said her curiosity was never raised then that there were installments with the same figures but paid on different days, adding that now it did.

However, Chibanda said she could not verify the fact that due to those installment payments, the government, through the Ministry of Finance, paid US $30 million, saying there were payments made prior and after the ninth installment.

She however did not dispute the figures.

Chibanda also told the court there was no way she could have detected that there was something wrong with the way payments were being made because she was a human being and that there were many agreements that were being dealt with.

She said she could not confirm the allegation that out of US $30 million sent to the Zamtrop account for an agreement with Systems Innovations, only US $17 million was paid.

Chibanda denied raising payments meant to go to Mere Care and Desai.

The matter comes up on June 11 for continued defence.

Labels: COURTS, STELLA CHIBANDA

posted by MrK @ 10:37 PM