A Zambian court Friday handed a two-year jail sentence to former President Rupiah Banda’s son, Andrew, for corruption.
Investigative wings in 2012 interrogated and arrested Andrew Banda, who was also deputy High Commissioner to India during his father’s three-year reign, for allegedly soliciting a cut from an Italian construction company, Fratelli Locci, and over money suspected to be proceeds of crime, allegations he denied.
The solicitation is said to have been by way of an agreement dated June 22, 2011 signed by Andrew and Antonello Locci.
Out of the two per cent, Andrew actually received a sum of $31,894 (K171,065,700) from Mr Locci, the managing director of Fratelli Locci SRI Limited, according to court papers.
Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda said Andrew was a public officer and his involvement to demand payment was “equal to corruption”.
Court papers said Andrew threatened Mr Locci, initially jointly charged but later turned state witness, that if he did not make the payment, his firm would face problems in Zambia.
The Zambian Government is pursuing another of Mr Banda’s son, Henry, for unspecified corrupt allegations.
Henry currently lives in South Africa and has vowed not to return to his home country in the absence of unspecified charges and for fear of “persecution”.
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