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| National |
| Kasungu Assembly robbed of K1.5 million |
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by
Ellen Lusinje , 16 November 2004
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11:39:10
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A clerk responsible for deceased estates, Felestino Phambana, is in police custody for allegedly robbing Kasungu District Assembly of over K1.5 million ($13,888) meant for chiefs’ pay and deceased estate.
According to sources Phambana collected chiefs’ pay amounting to K387,000 and he also cashed a deceased estate cheque amounting to K570,000.
“Together with the other cash he had in his office he connived with an unknown person who is in money multiplication business to use government funds for the purpose,” said a source from the DC’s office.
District Commissioner for Kasungu, Thomas Chirwa confirmed the incident but said his office has not yet established the total amount suspected to have been unccounted for..
He said so far they have only established that Phambana has misappropriated a total of K360,000; K168,000 from the deceased estates and K192 000 for chiefs’ renumerations.
“But the figure is expected to be more because auditors who are still working on the accounts have today found out that another K240,000 was swindled so we will be able to give the exact figure when everything has been finalised,” said Chirwa.
Chirwa said his office discovered the scam on November 4, after a widow complained that accounts for her three children, which were supposed to have been opened six months ago, had not yet been opened.
“When asked about the money Phambana promised to be in the office the next day to explain where the money was but he did not come to the office,” said Chirwa adding that he then alerted police who started searching for him.
“It is believed he took the money to a money-multiplier,” said Chirwa.
He said after the whole process the money multiplier disappeared with the whole lot and Phambana went into hiding where it took police the whole weekends to hunt and apprehend him.
Phambana was in August 2004 also arrested by Kasungu Police, together with a Mr Chimphweteka for aiding some people to swindle the deceased estates of K700,000 meant for children of the late L.J Banda from Chilanga in the area of Senior Chief Kaomba.
The case is still in court and Chimphweteka is on bail.
Councillor Kilion Saka, who is chairman of the assembly’s financial committee in an interview said the assembly was concerned that the two were still working despite having a record of swindling funds from the assembly.
He said according to regulations if an employee of any assembly spends more than 48 hours in police custody, he is supposed to be suspended but both Chimphweteka and Phambana have been allowed to continue working.
“This has allowed them to continue swindling the deceased funds in millions of kwacha,” said Saka.
An official from Kasungu Police, who refused to be mentioned confirmed Phambana was in police custody but could not give much information since the case had already been brought before the court.
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