Lawyer Linyama grills ACC officer in court

LUSAKA lawyer Lubinda Linyama yesterday grilled Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigative officer Madian Kadango in a case where State House Permanent Secretary Christa Kalulu is charged for failing to comply with applicable procedure in the award of a road contract.

In this case, Ms. Kalulu is charged alongside Plinth Technical Construction Limited chairperson Peter Lubambo on one count of wilful failure to comply with applicable procedure in the manner she allegedly awarded a road contract to the company when she was Permanent Secretary for the then Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

This is alleged to have happened between August and September 30, 2011. It is alleged that Ms. Kalulu signed the award of the road contract to Plinth Technical Construction Limited for rehabilitation of 15.04 kilometres of Lusaka City urban roads without the ‘No objection’ from Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), a matter concerning the ministry.

When the matter came up for cross examination before Magistrate Silvia Munyinya yesterday, Mr Linyama asked Ms Kadango to comment on the testimony given by the first prosecution witness, a procurement specialist who told the court that there was no need for Ms. Kalulu to get a second ‘No objection’.

In response, Ms Kadango said she had no comment, saying she did not remember the procurement specialist telling her that during investigations.

Asked if she found the contract’s file, Ms Kadango said she did and that she selected particular documents from the file.

Mr Linyama further asked Ms. Kadango to tell the court the person who signed the application for a ‘No objection’, and in response the witness said she could not remember but that someone acting in Ms. Kalulu’s place signed the document.