Former Zambian Minister Sentenced for Corruption

A Zambian court on Thursday sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour for corruption.

Malanji, who served under former president Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021, was arrested in late 2021 for allegedly using embezzled state funds to acquire property, including two Bell 420 helicopters.

The conviction marked a rare victory for state prosecutors in the southern African country, ranked among the world’s most corrupt by Transparency International’s 2024 perception index.

“I have heard the spirited mitigation by counsel and taken note that the convicts are first offenders and are entitled to leniency,” said Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga.

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The 60-year-old will serve “four years imprisonment with hard labour”, she ruled.

Malanji’s co-accused, Fredson Yamba, will serve three years, she added.

Yamba, a former secretary to the treasury, was accused of facilitating the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia’s mission in Turkey without justifying the expense.

Source: Punch