ZAMBIAN IG, KABONDE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER VIP ESCORT VEHICLES

By The Globe Staff Reporters

INSPECTOR General of Police Francis Kabonde is still under investigation in connection with his alleged involvement in the Zambia Police Service’s irregular purchase of VIP escort vehicles and bulletproof BMW X5 presidential vehicles from South Africa.

According to sources at Home affairs ministry, a report by a combined team of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Zambia Police and Intelligence officers that recorded a warn and caution statement from Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde in connection with unaccounted for K1 billion overpaid to a South African traffic equipment and car dealer, was ready.

According to sources at Home Affairs Ministry headquarters, investigations carried out by the combined team linked Kabonde to irregularities in the purchase of police escort vehicles, motorbikes, bullet proof presidential cars and traffic equipment.

The sources revealed that a docket against Kabonde has been opened, but kept as a “secret” awaiting further instructions.

“You may wish to know that a docket for Kabonde has been opened and is lying somewhere awaiting instructions. It is not strange that the IG behaved the way he did in Mufumbwe because he might have been tipped of his impending dismissal,” said a source who declined to be named. “The report is ready and awaiting further instructions. According to the records, Mr Kabonde as commissioner of police in 2006 signed for the payment of money to Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Limited of South Africa.”

According to the intelligence sources, Kabonde was on the list of defense chiefs who were recently retired by President Rupiah Banda but saved on account of him assisting in preserving security during the then impending elections.

Former inspector general of police Ephraim Mateyo was also interrogated by the same combined team of investigators probing the irregular purchase of escort vehicles and traffic equipment, which have not been delivered, from South Africa's Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement to date.
The officers interrogated Kabonde concerning his role in the payment for the vehicles, motorbikes, presidential armoured BMW X5 vehicles.
Transparency International Zambia has since asked Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde to step aside to pave way for ongoing investigations in his alleged involvement in the overpayment of K1 billion to a South African traffic equipment and car dealer.