Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Former Minister and Police Commissioner Amongst 19 Arrested-“SugiGate”

Share

In a joint operation, police in Mansa have apprehended and formally charged a group of nineteen individuals, including a former Minister and a Police Commissioner, for engaging in illegal mining activities related to Sugilite. The charges filed against them include carrying out mining operations without a license and conveying unlawfully acquired property, as outlined in the relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals Development Act No.11 of 2015 and the Penal Code Act Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia, respectively.

According to the case details, the accused individuals are alleged to have conducted unauthorized mining activities in the Muombe Mine area of Chembe District, Luapula Province, between January 4, 2023, and February 13, 2023. During this period, they reportedly extracted approximately 23 tonnes of Sugilite Mineral Ore without the necessary license. Subsequently, the mined material was transported from Chembe to the Kapiri Mposhi district.

Among those arrested are Honourable Derrick Chilundika, a former Minister for Luapula Province, and Ms. Gloria Cheelo Mulele, the Police Commissioner for Northern Province. The group also includes prominent individuals such as Nelson Kalembwe, the UPND Youth Chairperson for Luapula Province, Jones Nkandu, a UPND Provincial Youth Leader, and JerryJustin Bwalya, the Acting UPND Provincial Chairperson. Others involved in the case include Obbrey Simauki, a Provincial UPND Youth Secretary, Royd Mwansa, a former Deputy Permanent Secretary for Luapula Province, and Robert Mutepuka and Morton Sikazwe, former District Commissioners for Nchelenge and Mwansabombwe, respectively.

The list of apprehended individuals further includes several members of the police force, namely Police Constable Sydney Mulongwe, Police Constable Simon Chiwala, Police Chief Inspector Masauso Jere, and Police Sergeant Mulenga Chilufya. Additionally, Superintendent of Police Joshua Chimuli was also arrested in connection with the illegal mining case.

Completing the group of detainees are local businessmen Justin Chisha, Kelvin Mulenga, Kelvin Mukuka, and Kingston Chingu. Stephen Chikota, the Mwense Town Council Chairperson, is also among those who have been arrested and charged.

All nineteen individuals have been released on police bond pending their forthcoming court appearances.

Rae Hamoonga, the Police Spokesperson, provided the aforementioned information regarding the arrests and charges made in relation to the illegal Sugilite mining activities.

26 COMMENTS

  1. “Among those arrested are Honourable Derrick Chilundika”. Why are you obsessed with honouring those in political office? Its being a Muzungu wanga. He is just Mr Chilundika

    10
  2. Clear out the dirty pf swamp. I trust the new dawn to do the right thing. Be careful with those luapulans. We had one katele who used to turn invisible.

    2
    8
  3. The problem is no big fish implicated in this only footsoldiers no one from Lusaka arrested and this is further evidence that our police is rotten and urgently needs reforms.

    7
    2
    • Deja Vu – Some people lack the capacity to engage and be creative…so the next thing to do is copy but what they do not realise is that they are bringing down the same platform that gives them something to do. Its likened to child playing and starting a fire in the very house the child sleeps in…its very retrogressive. Its the same parttern every year next you will read about homosexuality or my relative did this and that…all slander by a very weak simple mind.

    • The problem with tarino is that he brings this to himself. Tarino is always accusing others of being trolls. I have noticed he comments on KZs blogs even when KZ doesn’t respond to him. It is like tarino enjoys this and he asks for it. To all those trolls continue trolling childish tarino so that he learns lessons.

      3
      1
    • What is cloning meaning? If it is a gay sex act, then I do. Enlighten me spaka. Spaka are you single? I like your name. Mmmh warm spark. Come spark my life

  4. Out of over 2 thousand applications for mining licenses only about 3% have been awarded after 2 years. How do you expect the country to have double digit growth rate? Is this the kind of work that they want us to pat them on the backs? It’s better to arrest Chongo Kabuswe and his officers instead of illegal miners. We can’t reduce poverty with such kind of people in charge. They must be shown the door out. They can’t think properly. They enjoy driving government SUVs as they idle around. Buy tu ma Vitz

    4
    4
  5. I don’t know why the Nchanga people voted for this Chilundika when they know what his character is. Voting for a party has always been out undoing. Vote for integrity not for popularity.

    • In Nchanga constituency where Derick Chilundika is MP, he uses his position to bully council employees and all CDF projects are shared amongst UPND cadres. Chilundika is corrupt to the core.

  6. Window dressing and fooling the masses…Minerals are being looted and if you listen to the audio yiu you can tell that HH is in charge of looting….Mutinta Hichilema and Liswaniso were mentioned in the Mkushi illegal mining and people were threatened and the story has died..in UPND for you to be a thief you have to be a Musonda,Bwalya or Banda….not Liswaniso or Kakubo or Hichilema….

  7. if we had a govt like upnd i think by now we would have developed
    you see previous govt they were saying no problem they are belong to the part

    2
    6
  8. This is a GRZ for accountability…………

    There is no hiding crimes behind the name of the ruling party or the president……

    1
    5

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading