Zambia president orders probe into stolen aid money

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Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu wants his officials to act on the results of an investigation into stolen donor funds.

The directive follows Britain's decision to freeze all aid to Zambia citing "fraud" and "corruption".

President Lungu wants decisive action taken against those responsible within a week.

The president is quoted by his spokesman Amos Chanda as saying:

Quote Message: Wherever cases of abuse requiring criminal investigations may arise, such cases must be reported to relevant agencies and where administrative action is required, I want to see prompt action taken."
Wherever cases of abuse requiring criminal investigations may arise, such cases must be reported to relevant agencies and where administrative action is required, I want to see prompt action taken."

Mr Lungu’s spokesman says the president is just as as the frustrated as Zambia donors because his priority is "the plight of the poor".

The money has gone missing from the Social Cash Transfer programme, which allocates money that is paid directly to the poorest in Zambia.

Mr Chanda adds that President Lungu met with donors at the start of September and "shared with them the measures being undertaken to address the problems encountered".