PIA board members prejudiced criminal case - witness

PENSION and Insurance Authority (PIA) board members took a position prejudicial to the interest of the state in the criminal case involving three senior members of PIA, the Lusaka Magistrate's court heard yesterday.

This is in a case in which Registrar of PIA Christopher Mapani, Deputy Registrar Titus Nkhwale and Manager Compliance and Insurance Nicholas Mbuya are facing two counts of abuse of authority of office.

Testifying in the matter, state witness Noel Mwanza, 42, a prosecutor from the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) told the court that on June, 8, 2020, NPA held pre-trial for two cases including the one involving Mr Mapani and two others at Twangale Lodge in Chilanga.

He said among the participants in the pre-trial was the DPP and other senior state advocates at which PIA board Chairperson Petronella Mwangala and board secretary Mrs Kabisa Ngwila were also invited as witnesses among others drawn from the Ministry of Finance, directors of Ultimate Insurance and PIA.

He testified that on June, 12, 2020, Ms Mwangala accompanied by her board secretary came through for pre-trial.

Mr Mwanza said that at the same trial session, Ms Mwangala informed the meeting that she had brought with her an institutional lawyer identified as Kaumbu Mwondela.

He said when the NPA was preparing the witness for the trial, it had difficulties with PIA as they had taken a position prejudicial to the interest of the state leading to the board chair being warned that she could be co-charged in the matter.