Itala market stall scam deepens

By PETER MALASHA SUSPICIONS surrounding the illegal allocation of 16 stall plots at Itala market in Mkushi district have heightened.

This follows a petition to the Mkushi District Council by UPND youths seeking urgent action on the matter.

The scam in which 16 stall plots at the market had not been receipted with one applicant allegedly swindled out of about K16, 000 by a named councillor was unearthed recently.

In the petition dated January 19, 2018 signed by UPND Chibefwe ward Youth Chairman Wisdom Kashoti addressed to Mkushi District Council chairman Evans Bwalya and made available to the Daily Nation, the UPND youths argue that procedure was not followed in the allocation of stall plots.

The petition further states that facts gathered indicated that Chibefwe ward Councillor, Gershom Musonda, allegedly had an upper hand in allocating market stalls which was not supposed to be the case.

There was also sufficient evidence that showed that people paid for some stalls but the money was not receipted. According to other evidence gathered, 77 people applied for some stalls but only 61 are in the records of the council.

“As youths we want to know if the councillor has power or authority to allocate plots in the wards or district. We also want to know why other people were given stalls but did not have receipts.” the petition reads in part.

The also want the intervention of investigative wings of government to investigate the matterand probe the old Itala market committee.