Ex-ZRL finance boss acquitted
FORMER Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) director of finance Regina Mwale has been acquitted by the Lusaka High Court in a matter she was jailed 18 months for abuse of authority of office.
High Court Judge Mathew Chisunka acquitted Ms. Mwale yesterday after allowing her appeal against Magistrate Obister Musukwa’s 2015 judgment in which he slapped a custodial sentence on her after finding her guilty of two counts of abuse of authority of office.
Ms. Mwale was charged with former ZRL chief executive officer Professor Clive Chirwa, who apart from the two counts of abuse of authority of office, was charged with failure to disclose interest when he allegedly recommended his company, Clavel Incorporated Limited, to train key personnel at ZRL.
The court however acquitted Prof. Chirwa on grounds that there was no evidence linking him to having instructed ZRL management to pay for his accommodation at Fallsway Apartments at an amount that was above his threshold.
Particulars of the offence were that between November 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, Ms. Mwale authorised payment of K289, 128.84 to Fallsway Apartments of Lusaka for Prof Chirwa’s accommodation without following laid-down procedures.
It was alleged that while working as ZRL director of finance Ms. Mwale authorised payment of rentals of K72,000 per month without seeking authorization from the board of directors for an apartment at Fallsway Apartments where Prof. Chirwa was accommodated for four months.
In allowing Ms. Mwale’s appeal yesterday, Mr. Justice Chisunka observed that she did not personally benefit from the payments.
He also observed that she did not know and meet Prof. Chirwa and that the two were just working together.
The court also found that Ms. Mwale was just instructed by the Ministry of Transport and Communication to start paying the rentals.
“I just want to thank my family members who have supported me, my pastors, friends, relatives and brethren at church who have been praying for me day in day out. I want to thank God that sometimes God stands for us, he is the final judge.
“I want to thank God that justice has prevailed.
I was retrenched at the same time because of the same thing. I am not sure yet if I am going to pursue my job and right now I just want to enjoy my freedom,” Ms. Mwale said.