Tukombe Arrested Over US$401 Million Contract

Former Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Henry Tukombe has been arrested and charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission -ACC- over alleged breaches of public procurement guidelines involving a loan obligation of more than US$401 million. ACC Head of Corporate…

Former Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Henry Tukombe has been arrested and charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission -ACC- over alleged breaches of public procurement guidelines involving a loan obligation of more than US$401 million.

ACC Head of Corporate Communications Joseph Mwenya says Mr. Tukombe, 57, was arrested alongside former Ministry of Education Head of Procurement and Supply Jacob Masatunya, 53.

Mr. Mwenya says the two are alleged to have wilfully failed to comply with applicable guidelines when they caused the Ministry of Education to enter into a contract with Mikalile Trading Company Limited of Hong Kong for the supply and delivery of various school items countrywide.

According to Mr. Mwenya, the contract had a principal sum of US$259,250,400.

He says additional interest on the contract amounted to US$138,698,964, while arrangement fees stood at US$3,888,756.

Mr. Mwenya says the three amounts committed the Government of Zambia to a total loan obligation of US$401,838,120.

He says the first charge alleges that Mr. Tukombe and Mr. Masatunya, while serving as public officers, allowed the procurement of the school items without a request from the user department within the Ministry.

Mr. Mwenya explains that the alleged offence was committed between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021 in Lusaka District and is contrary to Regulations 111 and 30 of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2011.

He says the second count alleges that Mr. Tukombe and Mr. Masatunya, acting jointly, proceeded with the procurement without subjecting the bid to an evaluation.

Mr. Mwenya says this is alleged to have contravened Regulation 114 of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2011.

He also says the third count alleges that the two allowed the procurement to proceed without obtaining the required approvals from the Ministerial Procurement Committee.

The ACC Head of Corporate Communications says this allegedly contravened Section 22 of the Public Procurement Act of 2008.

He says the charges have been brought under Section 34 (2) (b), as read together with Section 41 of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia.

Mr. Mwenya says Mr. Tukombe and Mr. Masatunya have since been released on bond and will appear in court soon.