‘Muteteka’s Jailing a Lesson to Leaders’

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia executive director Goodwell Lungu has welcomed the conviction of Moses Muteteka, saying those in leadership have themselves to blame when their corrupt tendencies backfire.
Meanwhile, Muteteka’s wife and family members yesterday wept after the Chisamba MMD member of parliament was handed a five-year jail sentence for stealing a government vehicle worth K75,000.
Muteteka was charged with theft of a motor vehicle contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
It was alleged that Muteteka, on May 24, 2010 in Lusaka, stole a motor vehicle, namely, a Mitsubishi Fuso light truck registration number ABX 3529, valued at K75,000, the property of Chibombo district in Chisamba Constituency, which he registered in his name, but he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution called 11 witnesses to establish a case against Muteteka, while he called four witnesses in his defence.
Commenting on Muteteka’s conviction, Lungu, in an interview, cautioned the current crop of leaders to learn a lesson from it.
He wondered how Muteteka registered a Chibombo District Council canter truck in his name when it was public property.
“If at all they (leaders) are involved in corruption issues, the moment they backfire in future, they will have themselves to blame,” said Lungu.
And as Lusaka principal resident magistrate Aridah Chulu convicted and sentenced Muteteka to five years imprisonment, a solemn mood characterised the courtroom.
Muteteka’s wife and family walked out of the courtroom and sat outside, waiting to see him off to prison.
Some family members comforted Muteteka’s wife, who later got up and went to console a relative who appeared to be more affected by the development.
In her judgment earlier, magistrate Chulu said Muteteka should not have changed ownership of the vehicle into his name because it was government property.
She observed that there was concealment on Muteteka’s part because of being a member of parliament when he agreed to the community’s petition to have the constituency vehicle swapped with his personal vehicle.
Magistrate Chulu said Muteteka’s action to change the constituency vehicle into his name defeated the love he had shown his community by sacrificing his own vehicle for them to use.
“From the evidence adduced, I have no doubt that the accused did fraudulently deprive the government permanently and I find him guilty as charged and I convict him accordingly,” said magistrate Chulu.