KAZUNGULA COUNCIL SYNDICATE SMASHED
…fake receipts issued to truck drivers
A SYNDICATE in which some Kazungula council officials allegedly pocketed more than k100, 000 in levies by issuing fake receipts has been smashed and five suspects have been apprehended to help with investigations.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Sikaunzwe ward councillor, Gibson Mulele who is also a member of the council’s financial committee, confirmed the detention of the five council officials yesterday.
Police in Kazungula district have since apprehended and de- tained 5 senior Kazungula district council officials for allegedly issuing fake receipts while siphoning government money totaling K109, 000.
Mr Mulele said the 5 council officials were picked up last week on Wednesday for allegedly using fake receipt books to collect revenue from marketeers and other unsuspecting members of the public.
"The main crime involves fake receipt books which they used to collect revenue and put it into their pockets. The council officials are alleged to have sto- len K109, 000. "More than 200 trucks enter Kazungula border per day and are levied K50 per truck and that’s besides cars, but the records at the council indicated 17 trucks per month as average," he revealed.
And Southern Province Police Commissioner, Bennie Kapeso told the Daily Nation that the officials were apprehended and detained last week to help with investigations.
“Yes the 5 council officials were apprehended and detained. But i can't say they are arrested because we have not yet cautioned or charge them as the investigations are still going on," Mr Kapeso said.
Last year, a whistleblower exposed a scam linked to Kazungula district council in which over 500 marketeers, whose licensed structures were demolished, were swindled out of K200 each.
According to one of the victims who sought anonymity, the local authority, through the market chairperson, asked over 500 marketeers in Kazungula district to pay K200 non-refundable fee each to be reallocated their usual trading spaces where the structures were demolished but later gave the trading spaces to other people.
A source narrated that council officials, in collaboration with some unscrupulous people from the market, took advantage of the demolition exercise to siphon money from unsuspecting marketeers.
A source further accused the officials of having deliberately demolished the licensed structures with the aim of de-campaigning the PF government.
“They demolished our stands in the market which were licensed by the council and later asked us to pay K200 non-refundable fee each so that we can be given back our space. But when we paid, we were surprised that our spaces were given to some people who were not trading in the market with us.
“When we complained to the bosses at the Kazungula district council, the answer they gave us is that it's the government we voted for which is behind all this sad development,” the source said.