The Anti-Corruption Commission has warned and cautioned former Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Songowayo Zyambo and Neria Investments Limited Director Bokani Soko on alleged corrupt practices in a case of unsupplied fertilizer worth over $131 Million.
The Commission has also recorded a warn and caution statement from two directors of Honey Bee Pharmacy Limited for alleged forgery and uttering of false documents.
Songowayo Zyambo, 56 of Sub-Division A of Lot 2336M New Kasama Lusaka, while a Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and responsible for the management and administration of public funds, did make a payment from the public revenue for goods not supplied in full when he signed a letter of confirmation to Zambia National Commercial Bank on April 8, 2021 stating that Neria Investments Limited had delivered 100% of D-Compound and Urea fertilizer according to the requirements of the contract number MOA/FISP/G/1/2020, when it had not done so.
Neria Investments Limited was contracted by the government of the Republic of Zambia to supply 75,380.70 metric tonnes of D-compound and 59,619.30 metric tonnes of Urea at a contract price of United States Dollars one hundred and thirty-one million, one hundred and forty-two thousand six hundred and eighty-two sixty-five cents (US$ 131, 142,682.65).
Other officers in the Ministry of Agriculture from whom warn and caution statements have been recorded include Grey Mwale of plot 43304, Chifwema Area in Chongwe, a former Principal Agricultural Economist and Emmanuel Kabwe, of plot 13512, Off Kasama Road, Chalala, a Principal Accountant.
The Commission has also recorded warn and caution statements from four directors at Neria Investments Limited. Statements were recorded from Bokani Soko, of 146 Mukuba Complex, Chudleigh in Lusaka, Justin Mutaa Katanekwa of house number 11965, Chelstone, Mohamed Zuneid Ismail Yousuf and Nadeem Yousuf both of Makeni in Lusaka.
In 2021, the four directors acting for and on behalf of Neria Investment, by false pretenses and with intent to defraud, did obtain money in the sum of United States Dollars one hundred and thirty one million, one hundred and forty two thousand six hundred and eighty two sixty five cents (US$ 131, 142,682.65) having falsely represented that 75,380.70 metric tonnes of D-Compound and 59619.30 metric tonnes of Urea were supplied and delivered at the Ministry of Agriculture when in fact not.
In another development, the Commission has warned and cautioned two directors of Honey Bee Pharmacy for alleged forgery and uttering of false documents.
In 2019, Abdurrauf Abdurahim Motala, 41 of house number 107 Umodzi Highway in Chipata and Zakir H. Motala, 42, of ZKH Investments Limited of Petauke, forged and made documents namely, an undated recommendation letter from Adra Malani, an undated recommendation letter from Gauteng Health and an Audit Financial Statement for Honey Bee Pharmacy which they later uttered or presented to the Ministry of Health as part of the tender documents for the supply and delivery of health kits.
In August 2019, the government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Health awarded a contract to Honey Bee Pharmacy to supply a total of 22,500 health kits to health centers countrywide at a contract sum of $17,000,000.00. Investigations have established that by the end of 2021, only 5,000 health kits had been supplied. It has also been established that Honey Bee Pharmacy was in-fact a walkin pharmacy in Lusaka’s Kamwala area.
