The Anti-Corruption Commission has withdrawn the matter in which two Zambia Police officers were facing charges of corrupt practices involving unspecified amounts of money, to give the Director of Public Prosecution more time to study the case.

Dennis Kayombo Mano and Elias Mutondo were also facing a charge of corrupt practices involving K5,000 which they allegedly received as gratification from a Lusaka businessman, Hendricks Nyambe, to have his theft charge dropped.

It was alleged in count one, that Dennis Kayombo and Elias Mutondo on May 4, 2018, in Lusaka, being police officers in the Zambia police service, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown corruptly solicited unspecified amounts of cash gratification from Hendricks Nyambe as an inducement to have the charge of theft against him dropped and released from police custody, a matter or transaction which concerned the Zambia Police Service.

And in count two, it was alleged that accused number two, Mutondo on the same date, being a police officer in the Zambia Police service, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, corruptly received K5,000 cash gratification from Nyambe to have his charge dropped and released from police custody.

Nyambe, the complainant in this matter, was alleged to have given the two police officers money in order to drop his theft charges where he allegedly swindled the ADD leader, Charles Milupi over 312,000 kilograms of Maize valued at K656,040.

And when the matter came up before magistrate Austin Mubita, Monday, the State, ACC, informed the court that instructions from the DPP to have the matter tried were not ready.

The State therefore applied that the matter be withdrawn to allow the DPP to have more time to study the case.

The defence did not object to the application.

Magistrate Mubita later granted the application by the State to have the matter withdrawn.

But speaking after appearing in court, one of the accused persons, Mano said ACC had withdrawn the matter for lack of evidence.