Ex-Education Permanent Secretary, Procurement Head Arrested Over US$401.8 Million School Supplies Deal
By Maxwell Shumba | BalanceHub The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested and charged former Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Henry Tukombe and former Head of Procurement and Supply Jacob Masatunya over alleged irregularities in a school supplies procurement contract linked to a US$401.84 million government loan obligation. The arrests mark another significant development in Zambia's ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability and combat corruption in the management of public resources. What the ACC Is Alleging According to ACC Head of Corporate Communications Joseph Mwenya, the two former public officials allegedly allowed a procurement process involving Hong Kong-based Mikalile Trading Company Limited to proceed without following mandatory public procurement procedures. The contract was for the supply of various school items across Zambia and carried a principal value of US$259.25 million. With interest of US$138.7 million and arrangement fees amounting to US$3...