A clinical officer employed by the Ministry of Health appeared before the Lusaka Magistrate Court yesterday, facing charges related to the unlawful acquisition of financial benefits amounting to K153,012.46. The accused, Daniel Tembo, aged 50, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretenses.
Tembo is charged with a single count of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretenses, an offense under Section 309A(1) of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), investigations revealed that Tembo deceitfully informed his supervisor that he had been seconded to the Clinton Health Access Initiative, despite not having been seconded. It is further alleged that Tembo accepted employment with Clinton Health Access Initiative, entered into a pensionable contract, began drawing a salary from that entity, and simultaneously continued to receive a salary from the Ministry of Health.
Additional allegations suggest that between December 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016, in Lusaka, Tembo, while serving as a Clinical Officer General in the Ministry of Health, entered into a separate employment contract with Clinton Health Access Initiative under false pretenses. This conduct allegedly resulted in an unlawful pecuniary gain of K153,012.46 from the Government of the Republic of Zambia, specifically impacting the Ministry of Health.
The court has scheduled the matter for trial commencement on August 27, 2024.
