LUSAKA — The High Court sitting in Lusaka has sentenced a former permanent secretary to seven years imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty of abuse of office in connection with a K14 million rural road contract awarded in 2019.
Anti-Corruption Commission director general Thom Shamenda said the conviction demonstrated that no public official was above the law. The court heard that the accused influenced procurement processes to favour a company owned by a close associate, resulting in substandard works in Mpika District.
Judge Naomi Mulongoti ruled that the accused had betrayed public trust and ordered restitution of K3.2 million. Civil society groups including Transparency International Zambia praised the verdict but called for faster prosecution of pending cases involving senior officials.
The former permanent secretary’s legal team indicated it would appeal, citing alleged irregularities in witness testimony. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee chairperson Mutale Chisanga said the judgment should prompt tighter controls on sole-source procurement in ministries.
Legal analysts noted that the sentence sends a strong signal ahead of the 2026 general election campaign season, when public spending typically increases. The ACC said it had secured 47 convictions in the past financial year, the highest annual tally in a decade.
