Ministry of Defence permanent secretary Sturdy Mwale says the Mukula logs which were intercepted by PF youths last night were being legally being exported to China by ZAFFICO.

At a media briefing today, Mwale also accused cadres of stealing over K30,000 from ZAFFICO officials.

He said ZAFFICO was mandated by government to export the illegally harvested and confiscated Mukula logs on its behalf.

Mwale dismissed allegations that the logs belonged to a senior government official.

“I wish to inform the nation that the Zambia Forestry and Forest Limited Corporation, ZAFFICO, has been given a mandate by the government of the Republic of Zambia to export the illegally harvested and confiscated mukula logs to China on its behalf. It is in this vain that on 29th December, 2017, ZAFICO was transporting 10 containarised trucks laden with mukula logs from Lusaka to Chirundu and a further 11 trucks from Mporokoso and Nsama to Chirundu. When they were intercepted in Shimabala area, initially by suspected UPND cadres and later by suspected PF cadres on allegation that the consignment belonged to a very senior government official and were being illegally transported without documentation,” said Mwale.

“In the process, ZAFFICO officials escorting the trucks were robbed of some official documents for the movement of the trucks from Lusaka to Chirundu and money amounting to approximately K30,000 a matter which defense and security wings are investigating.”