FORMER Ministry of Finance permanent secretary for budget and economic affairs Emmanuel Mulenga Pamu has told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that he processed the payment of K108 million for the purchase of a government property for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba approved the payment.

This is a matter in which Yamba is jointly charged former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

Yamba, a retiree of Ibex Hill, is charged with two counts of willful failure to comply with the law while Malanji, who is Kwacha PF member of parliament is charged with three counts of possession of property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

In count one, it is alleged that Yamba, between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, being Secretary to the Treasury, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did allocate and authorise the transfer of K108,401,197.00 to the Zambian Mission Account in Turkey for the procurement of real estate without following the law.

In the second count, it is alleged that Yamba, between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, being Secretary to the Treasury, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did allocate and authorise the transfer of K45,800,000.00 to the Zambian Mission Account in Turkey for the procurement of real estate without following the law.

In other counts, Malanji, a business executive, is alleged to have between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, possessed a BELL 430 Helicopter, a BELL 206 JET RANGER Helicopter, and Gibson Royal Hotel, properties reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

When the matter came up for commencement of trial before magistrate Jennifer Bwalya, Monday, Dr Pamu testified that in November 2021, he was approached by officers from the Anti-Corruption Commission who wanted to find out the role he played in the purchase of property for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said what he recalls was that around November 2020, he proceeded to process a payment of K108 million which was already approved through the office of the Secretary to the Treasury for the purchase of Government property for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I processed K108 million payment which was already approved through the office of the Secretary to the Treasury and the accountant general proceeded to prepare documents for the payment and I signed on the movement of funds,” he said.

Dr Pamu said he signed the documents on the basis that the payment was already approved by Yamba.

He, however, told the court that he did not look at who requested for the payment and that he did not look at the other documents that were part of the request.

Dr Pamu said his assumption was that the process had already been done and everything was in place.

The witness said that there was an assumption that the request was on a Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agencies (MPSA) and that payment had been approved from control 99 to the Treasury single account and MPSA.

Earlier, magistrate Bwalya refused to grant an application by Yamba for her to quash the charge sheet.

Yamba through his defence lawyer had asked magistrate Bwalya to quash the charge sheet against him on grounds that it did not contain sufficient information against his charge and did not disclose the specific law which he had not complied with.

Magistrate Bwalya adjourned the matter to May 11, 2022 for cross-examination of the witness.