Western Province Provincial Education Officer Stephen Chishiko 54, and his co accused Mainga Mulima 47, who is an Acting Senior Accountant from Southern Province Education Office have continued to appear in the Choma Magistrates Court facing 3 Counts of Corrupt Practices among them being in possession of money close to K300, 000 reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Particulars of the offence in count 1 are that on dates unknown but between 1st August 2014 and 31st December 2014 Chishiko who was at the time Provincial Education Officer for Southern Province and Mainga jointly and whilst acting together failed to comply with the Law and laid down procedures by allegedly transferring K125, 000 to Chalimbana University .

In Count 2, the two being public service workers are accused of willfully failing to comply with the Law and laid down management procedure did divert K110, 000 from its intended purposes.

In Count 3 Chishiko is charged with Abuse of Authority of Office and particulars of the offence alleged that on the mentioned dates the accused being a Public Officer in Choma abused his position by directing the Head Teacher of Macha Girls Secondary School to transfer K110, 000 into the Provincial Education Account.

The two appeared before Resident Magistrate Ethel Phiri in the fast track court and the state called Webster Lungu who is former accountant for Macha girls’ secondary school to testify.
Mr. Webster Lungu told the Fast Truck court that the school had written a request letter to the government asking for assistance in the sum of 583 thousand kwacha to help re-construct the school kitchen which was gutted by fire and that the request was granted and the amount was paid in 2 installments with first being 300 thousand kwacha from the provincial education account and the next came from the ministry of education direct account and the sum was 283 thousand kwacha.

Mr. Lungu explained that another letter came to the school which then Headteacher Maxson Muleya availed to him from the provincial education office instructing the school to transfer One hundred and Ten thousand kwacha into the Provincial Education Office account to be directed to another project in Kazungula which he did and later obtained a receipt from the PEOs office as is the procedure.

In cross examination defence counsel availed the witness with a letter from the Headteacher who took over from Mr. Muleya requesting permission to the PEO’s office to spend the K110, 000 to put Terrazzo floor in the newly reconstructed kitchen to which Mr. Lungu responded that he had been transferred to Saint Marks Secondary School in February 2014 and so did not know how the 110,000 was used.

The matter has since been adjourned to January 7, 2020 and the two accused persons are on police bond.