The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested an Oil Exports Manager of Surya Energy Limited Exports for corrupt practices involving a K4,000.00 bribe to a named Energy Regulation Board (ERB) Officer who rejected the bribe.
This is in a matter where Mr Aditya Arora, 38, of House No. 19, Katemo Road, Rhodespark, Lusaka, has been arrested and charged with one count of corrupt practices with Public Officer contrary to Section 19(2) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012.
ACC spokesperson Queen Chibwe noted that Aditya was apprehended at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport as he attempted to flee the country, despite being warned and cautioned.
Ms Chibwe stated that the arrest follows investigations in which it was established that Aditya offered a bribe of K4,000.00 to a named officer of the Energy Regulations Board (ERB) in order for the officer to include an oil tanker on a list of tankers that had been inspected and were due for inclusion in a petroleum products transportation license.
She added that investigations have revealed that in May 2022, Surya Energy Limited applied to have six (6) oil tankers inspected by ERB for purposes of their inclusion in their road transportation license for petroleum products in which the license that Surya Energy Limited had was valid till July 2024.
Additionally, it had been established that on 1st July 2022, Surya Energy Limited only made four (4) tankers available for inspection out of the six (6) at their Mungwi Road garage, and following the inspection, approval was granted for the four (4) tankers to be included in the road transportation license for petroleum products.
“Arora later sent K4,000 as a bribe to a named ERB Officer who was one of the inspectors to facilitate the addition of another tanker on the list of inspected tankers for inclusion in the license, the ERB officer rejected the bribe and reported the issue to his superiors, who passed it on to the ACC,” she said
She said that in relation to the same matter, the Commission has also recorded a warn and caution statement from Aditya’s Lawyer Mwansa Chambaila of Ituna Partners in Lusaka, for giving false information to an officer of the Commission.
Ms Mwansa is alleged to have provided information to the effect that Aditya was scheduled to travel out of the country on 5th August 2022 when in fact Aditya was scheduled to travel the previous day on 4th August 2022.
However, alert officers managed to track Aditya and had him removed from the plane which he had already boarded.
Ms Chibwe cited that Aditya is detained in Police custody and is expected to appear in court on Monday 8th August 2022 for mention.
