The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested and charged a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and a former Head of Procurement and Supply over alleged breaches of public procurement procedures linked to a contract that committed the Zambian Government to a loan obligation of more than US$401 million.
The ACC announced the arrests in a press release dated September 16, 2026, identifying the two suspects as Henry Tukombe, 57, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, and Jacob Masatunya, 53, a former Head of Procurement and Supply in the same ministry.
The two are alleged to have wilfully failed to comply with applicable public procurement guidelines when the Ministry of Education entered into a contract with Mikalile Trading Company Limited of Hong Kong for the supply and delivery of various school items across the country.
According to the ACC, the alleged conduct is contrary to Section 34(2)(b), as read together with Section 41 of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia.
The contract carried a principal sum of US$259,250,400, while interest amounted to US$138,698,964, with arrangement fees of US$3,888,756.
This brought the total loan obligation incurred by the Government of the Republic of Zambia under the arrangement to US$401,838,120.
The ACC has outlined three counts against Tukombe and Masatunya.
On the first count, the two former public officers are alleged to have wilfully failed to comply with Regulations 111 and 30 of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2011.
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The commission alleges that between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021, in Lusaka District, they allowed the procurement of various school items from Mikalile Trading Company Limited without a request from the relevant User Department within the Ministry of Education.
The second count relates to the alleged failure to subject the bid to an evaluation.
The ACC alleges that Tukombe and Masatunya, jointly and while acting together, breached Regulation 114 of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2011 by proceeding with the procurement of the school items without conducting the required bid evaluation.
In the third count, the two are alleged to have breached Section 22 of the Public Procurement Act of 2008 by allowing the procurement to proceed without obtaining the required approvals from the Ministerial Procurement Committee.
The case therefore centres on allegations that required procurement procedures and approvals were not followed in the awarding and implementation of the contract.
The ACC said the alleged offences occurred while Tukombe and Masatunya were serving as public officers in the Ministry of Education.
The two have since been released on bond and are expected to appear in court.
The ACC’s allegations have yet to be tested in court, and both Tukombe and Masatunya are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a competent court.
The arrest comes as public procurement and the management of government obligations remain important issues in Zambia, particularly where major contracts involve substantial financial commitments by the State.
The ACC said the matter will now proceed through the court process.
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