Ex-Police Chief Sentenced for Corruption

Former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Charity Katanga, has been sentenced to three years in prison for purchasing property with illicit funds. Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili delivered the verdict on Monday.

The court found Katanga guilty of possessing property valued at over $2 million, believed to be proceeds of crime. It was found that between January 1, 2017, and June 6, 2022, Mrs. Katanga, together with other individuals, illegally purchased 10 Higer buses.

The Chairman of the Africa Parliamentarian Network Against Corruption (APNAC), Miles Bwalya Sampa, recognised Katanga’s two-year service, but said that individuals need to be held accountable. President Hichilema’s government pledged to make tackling corruption a priority.

Zambia’s CPI score rose 4 points between 2022 and 2023, indicating positive momentum toward this goal. Sampa thanked the judiciary for making individuals accountable in cases of corruption, which has an immense impact on the country’s socio-economic landscape.

Following this judgement, Samba implored the judiciary to expedite pending cases of corruption, delivering a warning to others that “corruption does not pay.”