Maravi

‘Barclays owes Kabwela duty of confidentiality’

‘Barclays owes Kabwela duty of confidentiality’
Written by George Chellah and Mwala Kalaluka
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 6:18:21 PM

BARCLAYS Bank Zambia Limited archivist Lewis Mbewe yesterday admitted that the bank owes Post news editor Chansa Kabwela the duty of confidentiality.

During Kabwela's continued trial before Lusaka chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda, Mbewe 41, who informed the court that he looks after internal and external documents, said he received a warrant from the Zambia Police through the bank's compliance officer Teddy Muntanga.

"They were requesting for documents pertaining to the account of the customer Chansa Kabwela. I went ahead as per requirement to comply with warrants," he said.

Asked during cross-examination by defence counsel Remmy Mainza whether the warrant directed him to surrender the document to the police, Mbewe responded: "Yes, this letter came through our compliance department and we had to comply."

When asked why he did not give the police the statements of accounts as stated on the warrant, Mbewe said he was just instructed to release the mandate by the compliance officer. He admitted that he read the warrant and complied with it.

"Unfortunately, the statement of account is not with me," Mbewe said.

Asked by Mainza why he didn't tell the court that among the documents requested for by the police was the statement of account, Mbewe, who kept quiet for a while, answered: "I am not able to answer the question."

When asked by another defence lawyer George Chisanga whether as a bank they owed their client [Kabwela] the duty of confidentiality, Mbewe responded in the affirmative: "Yes!"

He also agreed that what he did was in the interest of the state. Chisanga sought to know whether Mbewe knew what bankers' books were but he said he did not know. However, Mbewe said he went ahead to produce the required documents.

Labels: BARCLAYS BANK, CHANSA KABWELA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 5:21 PM