Police in Luwingu district in the Northern Province have exposed a scam in which a Food Reserve Agency (FRA) employee and the transporter have allegedly been stealing government maize and selling it cheaply on the local market.
Northern Province Police Commissioner Mary Chikwanda confirmed the development to Zambia News and Information Services in Luwingu today.
Chikwanda said police have since arrested Danny Siame aged 29, a Depot clerk at FRA main shed for theft by servant and Smart Musonda 37, a transporter and his driver Mulenga Mutapa 62, for theft by agent contrary to the laws of Zambia.
She said Siame connived with a transporter Musonda and the driver Mutapa both of Matipa village in Chief Chiwanagala who were engaged by Chilubi District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) to collect maize from FRA shed in Luwingu.
Chikwanda said the DEBS office engaged the transporter to collect 153 metric tonnes of maize to various schools in Chilubi district under the school feeding programme funded by both the Zambian government and the World Food Programme (WFP) but decided to deviate 37 x 50 kg bags which were sold to various people in the village.
Chikwanda said the trio decided to steal 37 x 50kg bags of white maize valued at KR2, 220 and later sold it at the Kamumango market in Cope village in Chief Chipalo’s area.
The Police Commissioner further said police also intercepted 173 x 50 kg bags of white maize which was destined for sale and impounded a Hino Ranger Truck 5 tonnes, registration number ALF 5867 belonging to Smart Musonda.
And Luwingu Police Officer in Charge Assistant Superintendent Sampa Mwelwa disclosed that police earlier in the day intercepted the truck when it was leaving the FRA shed with 37 x 50 kg bags of white maize and produced good issued note purporting that the consignment was destined for Chilubi when in fact not.
He said police were not satisfied and trailed the truck up to Kamumango market where maize was offloaded and selling cheaply.
Mwelwa further said the quick action by police officers managed to recover all the stolen bags from various houses in Cope village.
Mwelwa said the trio will appear before Luwingu magistrate court next week for the offences committed.
Source: ZANIS
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