Evaristo Sakala, a former Army Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, has been detained by THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for engaging in corrupt behavior involving US$400 million in relation to the purchase of the Gulfstream G65 Presidential plane.
Mr. Sakala is accused in count one of willful disregard for the law and procedure as per section 34 (2) (b) of the Anti-Corruption Act number 3 of 2012.
This is from a statement made by Timothy Moono, ACC’s Head of Corporate Communications.
“Between January 1, 2017 and July 31,2017 Mr Sakala being the Army Secretary and a member of the Ministerial Procurement Committee for the Ministry of Defence and whilst acting together with others, did wilfully fail to comply with the applicable law and procedure in the manner he approved the award of the tender number MOD/MPC/02417 relating to the procurement of the modernisation of the Defence forces programme at a contract price of US$ 400 million to Elbit Systems Limited.Mr Sakala has since been released on bond and he is expected to appear in court soon,”said the commission.
According to the committee, Stardy Mwale, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence, and retired brigadier general Michael Obister, a former secretary of defense, are among the six people who have been detained thus far in connection with this case.
Others include retired Brigadier General Frank Sinyangwe, a former director general of medical services for the Ministry of Defence, and Esabel Willima Chinji, director of finance for the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment.
John Phiri, a former director of human resources and administration at the Ministry of Defence, is another.
