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LUSAKA — Zambian President Michael Sata has fired a minister who was jailed for one year with hard labour after being convicted on a charge of possessing a forged diploma in accounting, a statement released by his office and obtained by Xinhua yesterday said.
Stephen Masumba, who was deputy minister of sports and youths, was on Monday convicted for possessing fraudulent accounting qualifications and using them to get employment as an accounts clerk and lecturer at a private college between 2005 and 2008. He was jailed on Wednesday.
In a brief statement released by presidential spokesperson George Chellah, the Zambian leader thanked his former minister for the services rendered to his administration and wished him success in his future endeavours.
“His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, President of the Republic of Zambia, has with immediate effect revoked the appointment of Hon. Stephen Masumba as deputy minister in the Ministry of Youth and Sports,” the brief statement said.
Masumba, 31, was arrested in April 2012 by anti-corruption agencies for using an accounting technician diploma erroneously awarded to him. He was charged with one count of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences contrary to Zambian laws.
According to prosecutors, Masumba, who was a student at the National Institute for Public Administration (NIPA), was erroneously awarded the diploma when he did not finish his course and he went ahead and got a job using the same papers.
According to prosecutors, the minister refused to return the qualifications when the college contacted him.
His lawyers have since appealed against his jail sentence in a high court. — Xinhua.
Online Reporter