Former Zambia president Kenneth Kaunda arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport in Nairobi on April 8, 2013 to witness the
inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Mr Kaunda was hospitalised in
Lusaka on February 3, 2015. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
In Summary
Lusaka, Friday. Zambia’s former mines minister
Maxwell Mwale on Friday was jailed for a year on graft charges linked to
the irregular issuing of a mining licence to a Chinese firm in 2009.
Mwale was arrested in 2012 during an anti-corruption crackdown launched by the late president Michael Sata.
The prosecution said while he was mines minister,
Mwale issued a mining licence to China’s Zhonghui International Mining
Group within three days of application, when such a process normally
takes several months.
Mwale, who is in his 60s, served under former president Rupiah Banda between 2008 and 2011.
The court decided on a custodial sentence because corruption was on the rise in Zambia.
“I note that cases of abuse of authority of office
have become rampant and as a court we will be failing in our duties if
we do not put deterrent measures,” said magistrate Lameck Mwale.
“He should serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour with effect from the date of conviction,” said the magistrate.
Since the ruling Patriotic Party came to power in
the 2011 elections, several high profile Zambian politicians have been
arrested, including former president Banda and ex-diplomats, mainly on
corruption charges. (AFP)
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