UPND co-uncillor in cooler over CDF theft

UPND co-uncillor in cooler over CDF theft

By Thandizo Banda 

POLICE in Kabwe have arrested a United Party for National Development (UPND) ward councillor in Lufubu Constituency, Ngabwe District of Central Province for allegedly diverting K84,600 Constituency Development Funds (CDF) money.

UPND Iwonde Ward councillor Brian Kapaya is jointly charged with Ngabwe Town Council health inspector Brian Mupupa for diverting a borehole project meant for water-starved villagers at Kasu Village to a private farm.

Kapaya is detained at Kabwe Central Police Station while Mupupa is at Chowa Police Station awaiting court appearance.

Sources said the diversion of the borehole happened under the watch of Ngabwe district commissioner Hector Filongwa.

Central Province commissioner of police Charity Munganga could neither confirm nor deny the report.

Ngabwe Town Council secretary Mpande Hamende, who reported the matter to the police, confirmed the arrest of the councilor and council official in an exclusive interview with The Mast.

“The councillor and the council official diverted this borehole to a private farm owned by Clatous Libamba, where they had collected K25,000 for the said borehole, way much less than the K84,600 project cost. I was alerted by alert villagers from Kasu. I did my own investigations before reporting the matter to the police, who swiftly moved in and arrested the two officials,” Hamende said.

He regretted that a project meant to benefit deserving communities was diverted in that manner without the knowledge of his office.

“Our focus is to see to it that CDF projects benefit the locals and not individuals,” Hamende said.