Zambia court sentences ex-foreign minister to hard labour

A Zambian court on Thursday sentenced former foreign minister Joseph Malanji to four years in prison with hard labour for corruption.

Malanji, who served under former president Edgar Lungu from 2018 to 2021, was arrested in late 2021 for allegedly using embezzled state funds to acquire property, including two Bell 420 helicopters.

The conviction marked a rare victory for state prosecutors in the southern Africa country, ranked among the world's most corrupt by Transparency International's 2024 perception index.

"I have heard the spirited mitigation by counsel and taken note that the convicts are first offenders and are entitled to leniency," said Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga.

The 60-year-old will serve "four years imprisonment with hard labour", she ruled.

Malanji's co-accused Fredson Yamba will serve three years, she added.

Yamba, a former secretary to the treasury, was accused of facilitating the transfer of more than $8 million to Zambia's mission in Turkey without justifying the expense.

It was not immediately clear if the pair will appeal the ruling.

They were the first top officials from Lungu's government to be arrested on graft charges after President Hakainde Hichilema took office.

Hichilema has repeatedly vowed to root out corruption but critics say progress has been sluggish.

More than 64 percent of the population of copper-rich Zambia live in poverty.