Kapiri council official denies stealing K47m

Kapiri council official denies stealing K47m
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 22 June 2010, 04:00 CAT

SUSPENDED Kapiri Mposhi district council assistant treasurer Joblin Chatepa has denied charges that she embezzled the council funds amounting to K47.1 million.

And ministry of local government and housing has sent senior auditors to carryout audit inspections of books of accounts at Kapiri Mposhi council following reports of embezzlement of funds.

In her exculpatory letter to council secretary Ventrure Kafula dated May 28, 2010, Chatepa said the allegations against her were false.

Chatepa stated that there was no evidence in the council documents to show that she was involved in fraud, forgery and uttering of council financial documents as claimed by Kafula in his suspension letter to her.

“ … you have already made a decision to suspend me without properly verifying what led to the under-bankings when in fact the deputy treasurer, Mary Chileshe Kafula, was fully aware of all the under-bankings during the period stated in your letter to me,” Chatepa stated.

She explained that the deputy treasurer and the acting internal audit assistant Moses Mumba verified and certified correctly all transactions that were carried out within the period in question.

Chatepa expressed surprise that Kafula selectively decided to suspend her instead of waiting and/or suspending Mary Chileshe Kafula who was aware of the transactions and had made it clear that she had normalised the figures for the money collected and used by her.

“… It is on record and close to my attention that Mr Engine Mayosha – former council police – recently complained to the Auditor that the Deputy Treasurer Mrs Mary C. Kafula collected K3, 000,000 and grabbed the receipt book no. 176/08 on 27th January 2009 from him in Mukonchi which he later discovered that the money was not receipted and was not banked anywhere for the council by her that time but it was used by her and the receipt book lost to conceal the deal. Surprisingly, this has been normalised by herself and the internal audit assistant Mr Moses Mumba, yet your office cannot query and suspend those involved up to now,” read the letter.

When contacted, Kapiri Mposhi council secretary Kafula said local government Permanent Secretary Timothy Hakuyu had sent senior auditors to audit the council’s financial reports.

He said the recommendations of the ministry would be availed to the ordinary council meeting and the public on June 26, 2010.

“The audit report done by senior auditors form the Ministry of Local Government and Housing is not yet for public consumption. It would be made public after it is presented before the ordinary council meeting and you have a right to come and attend that meeting if you want. Its open for the public so it will be unwise for me to pre-empt the audit report that’s why am referring all queries to the permanent secretary,” Kafula said.

Meanwhile, UPND Kapiri Mponshi district youth chairperson Sameman Hakalumbwe appealed to the Drug Enforcement Commission, Zambia police and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the disappearance of K47 million from Kapiri Mponshi Council.

Hakalumbwe appealed to the investigative wings to institute an audit into the accounts of Kapiri Mponshi council covering the period October 2009 to March 2010.

Kafula last month confirmed Chatepa’s suspension pending investigations, saying there was some fraud involving money that was supposed to be paid to casual workers.