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The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has argued before the Lusaka High Court that Madalitso Kamanga and Jairos Siame were unlawfully included in a government-funded trip to the Ivory Coast despite not being officials of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
DEC revealed that the two were under investigation and could face prosecution for allegedly defrauding the government through false pretenses.
The case arose after Kamanga, a member of the FAZ Security Committee, and Siame, a Protocol Committee member, applied for a judicial review to overturn the State’s decision to withhold their passports.
Read more: FAZ President, Kamanga drags govt to court over seized international passport
The duo cited the Attorney General in their application.
Kamanga and Siame were arrested in April, 2024 and charged with obtaining money and pecuniary advantage by false pretenses, as well as conspiracy to defraud.
Although released on police bond the same day, they claim they have yet to be taken to court.
DEC has asked the court to dismiss their judicial review application, arguing that ongoing investigations into the matter justify the actions taken.
According to DEC investigations officer Hussein Khan, FAZ President Andrew Kamanga and General Secretary Reuben Kamanga unlawfully appointed the applicants as part of the advance delegation for the Senior Men’s National Team during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast.
The appointments, made without proper authority, led to the government incurring K341,902 in allowances and K99,980 in air tickets for the applicants.
DEC disclosed that the applicants provided warn-and-caution statements on April 23, 2024.
The case docket was submitted to the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) but was returned with instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further investigations.
The Commission justified the seizure of the applicants’ passports, labeling them flight risks, and denied their request to travel, citing the ongoing probe into the financial irregularities.
DEC emphasized that the applicants must periodically renew their police bond and inform the Commission of any travel plans.
In its final submission, DEC asserted that the judicial review request lacked merit and should be dismissed with costs.
The Commission confirmed that the matter would proceed to prosecution once investigations are complete.
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