By LUCY PHIRI
Acting Assistant Director at Personal Emoluments in the Public Service (PMEC) has told the Economic and Financial crimes court that former Economic Advisor to President Edgar Lungu, Hibeene Mwiinga’s gross net was K5.7 million from the period of 2015 to 2021 while at State house.
Mr Humphrey Silupya, 52, of Meanwood Ndeke was testifying in a matter in which Mwiinga, 60, of Mwembeshi area in Lusaka is jointly charged with his son Hakaantu Mwiinga aged 33 and wife Mercy Mwenda aged 56 years old.
Previously, the state amended the indictment and added one accused person in the name of Hichikey Farm Limited, it also added 6 more charges to the 66 they were already facing. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
All the accused persons are now facing 72 charges of being in possession of properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to Section 71 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
Mr Silupya yesterday narrated that he was approached by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) through his director in December 2021 regarding the information of employee number 208626 , Mr Mwiinga regarding pay slips from the time he was at State House.
“They also requested a word type report and we generated the report from the period of March 2015 to October 2021. It was discovered that the gross net for Mr Mwiinga was K5, 788,747.21 million,’’ he said.
Boyd Manyika, 38, of Makeni, a Principal Accountant at Ministry of Finance testified how the ACC in July, 2022 submitted the warrant of access to the ministry of Finance with regards to payment of gratuity to Mr Mwiinga.
Mr Manyika said he produced the account statement from the system for all gratuity paid to Mwiinga, and the additional total of all gratuity paid was K 5.8 million.
“Report for gratuity on Individual amount paid in which particular year was: In 2018, there were two transactions in the amount of K1, 028,578.34 and K905, 135.40 as second payment. In 2020, the amount was K1,527,556.58 and 2021, foreign payment of K1,455,984.07 and the second one being K690,556.58, the last one was K258,420.32,’’ he said.
Makani Mudenda,46, Civic Center Zanaco Branch Manager told the court that in December 2021, officers from ACC visited their department to issue a warrant to search the books of the branch in relation to one of their customers Mr Mwiinga.
“A few weeks later, the officer came to the branch he requested for a statement of accounts which were issued. Mr Mwiinga got a first loan in September, 2019 amounting to K1.2million and the second loan was obtained in August, 2019 amounting to K1million,’’ she said. Trial continues today.
