FORMER foreign affairs minister in the fallen PF regime, Joe Malanji is today set to exchange his sleek designer tailor-made suits for a plain orange prisoner’s garment following his conviction for grand theft by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court yesterday.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FXjxYaX4y
Following dramatic testimonies the former minister of foreign affairs alongside the former secretary to the treasury Fredson Yamba were yesterday found guilty for the mismanagement of US$ 5 million meant for the purchase of property, which Malanji diverted for personal gain, with the blessing of his former boss, Edgar Lungu.
Yamba was charged with two counts of willful failure to adhere to guidelines relating to the management of public resources, while Malanji was charged with eight counts of possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Yamba is alleged to have abrogated the law relating to the management of public property when he approved the transfer of K154, 201, 197 for the purchase of a chancery in Turkey.
Malanji is accused of possessing two helicopters BELL430 and a BELL 206 Jet Ranger helicopter, Gibson Royal hotel and seven houses in Silverest gardens, suspected to be proceeds of crime.
At trial, the court heard that between January 2020 and August 2021, Yamba authorised the transfer of K108,401,197 and K45,800,000 to the Zambian Mission in Turkey for the procurement of real estate without following laid-down procedure, including approvals from Parliament, the Attorney General and the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA).
During the same period, Malanji was found to have possessed the helicopters, costing US$110,000, US$105,000, and three houses in Silverest, Lusaka, in addition to other properties, all suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Evidence also showed that, while serving as special envoy for the late former president Edgar Lungu, Malanji travelled to Turkey on a presidential plane and returned with US$4.6 million, which he carried in two bags, which he had denied.
Top Drug Enforcement Commission Investigator Kwaleyela Mukelabai and Congolese magistrate punched massive holes in Malanji’s story that he had lucrative business in the neighbouring DR Congo, after he allegedly diverted US$5 million meant for the purchase of a chancery in Turkey.
Over the past four years, the Court had heard revelations of how US$5 million which was released by the Zambian government, meant for the purchase of a Chancery for the Zambian mission in Turkey but was diverted by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who personally went to collect it from Turkey.
Mukelabai had testified that the money was flown back to Zambia using a presidential jet and ended up in the former minister’s living room, as Malanji’s former boss late former president Lungu personally released the presidential jet for Malanji’s controversial trips abroad.
A Turkish embassy driver testified that he personally loaded the cash onto the plane assigned to Malanji.
Gulce Senger an Interpreter at the Zambian
Embassy in Turkey said according to the contract for the purchase of property the Landlord had requested for US$1.5 million but receipts show that less money was paid.
She said each floor of the building was registered separately at the lands office and was paid for with different amounts.
The transaction fueled corruption suspicions among investigators.
The Drug Enforcement Commission’s top investigator revealed that Malanji secretly stashed two helicopters in South Africa and Zimbabwe during investigations, a Bell 430 and a Bell 206 Jet Ranger which were allegedly purchased using diverted Government funds.
The aircraft was seized and flown back to Zambia with the help of the South African Court.
Prior to the 2021 general election, Malanji earned himself the nickname of Bonanza as he would dispense cash to cadres and any associate who would stop him for a greeting, and cared less about his coffers running empty.
When quizzed about the source of his funds Malanji claimed he had lucrative business in Congo which proved to be false during investigations, as the business address led investigators to a historical place which is a house of Catholic nuns.
The former foreign affairs minister claimed he had business deals with China Civil Engineering Corporation and Mass Investment Group Sarl through his company Gibson Power Systems.
Before an overspilling court yesterday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Court announced a guilty verdict for both men who calmly sat in the dock peeping at proceedings from their spectacles.
In her findings Acting Principal resident magistrate Irene Wishimanga found that Malanji did not produce documentary evidence to prove that he acquired the aircraft and houses using legitimate income as the evidence presented before Court, are only falsified documents claiming his company Gibson power systems was sub contracted for specific works by China Civil.
She said following his trips to Morocco Malanji made several deposits of US$100,000 in his bank account on a daily basis, which painted a picture of daylight robbery.
The magistrate said Malanji used the money he brought from Turkey to purchase the helicopters, amidst claims that he used profits from his business, yet his company, Gibson Charter Limited, was cash strapped and it could not settle its outstanding loans.
Malanji’s hotel was spared of forfeiture, an application which the State intends to file today to have the illegal properties repossessed.
Meanwhile, the Court found that Gibson Royal Hotel was not illegally acquired.
Furthermore, Magistrate Wishimanga said the State has proved that Yamba abused authority of his office when he authorised the disbursement of US$5 million for the purchase of a chancery for the Zambian Mission in Turkey, which was not approved for in the budgetary framework and did not seek parliamentary approval for a supplementary budget nor guidance from the Attorney General.
She said the disbursement of the funds ought to have been approved by parliament since there was a variation.
Following his conviction for having diverted US$4.6 million meant for the purchase of a chancery for the Zambian mission in Turkey, which he used to buy two big toys in form of helicopters, Malanji told the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that he was ‘praying, covered in ash’ for a non custodial sentence; a symbolic of repentance for his crimes.
Through his lawyer Chandiwila Nyimbili, Malanji said he was a first offender entitled to leniency.
“Section 71 of the forfeiture of proceeds of crime Act does not provide for a mandatory minimum sentence. This court will be within the law to mete out anything other than custodial sentence,”Nyimbili said.
“He (Malanji) is greatly remorseful. He has given me an undertaking that given an opportunity, he will choose to live right. It is on that basis that we pray, covered in ash, that this honourable court considers a non custodial sentence. He is a family man.”
In his mitigation Yamba with disbelief about the verdict through his layer Luckson Mwamba pleaded with the court to consider his pure intentions of helping Government acquire property at a cheaper price, as he did not know that the money would end up being diverted in Turkey.
“We beseech the indulgence of the court for a suspended sentence. Facts will show in this case that the intention was to purchase property for the Government of Zambia. What ever happened in Turkey, that was not his business. His only crime is that he managed to find funds from other savings for the purpose of purchasing property for the Government of Zambia,”Mwamba said.
He noted that Yamba’s crimes are not prevalent, therefore requesting a suspended sentence as it would serve as an appropriate deterrent sentence.
“The court must look at the bigger picture. He has a family, a wife, children, some are here. He diligently served for 10 years as secretary to the treasury. He served the country diligently and we ask that you take that into account. We pray and beseech that you excercise leniency and humanity. We pray that he be given a suspended sentence or a fine,” said Mwamba.
The two had to spend a cold night at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility known as Chimbokaila, as they await to know their fate during sentencing today.
Kalemba August 22, 2025.
