Tukula interdicted

Director of Public Officers’ Declarations Christopher Tukula has been interdicted on half pay with effect from December 17 2014, six months after his appointment to the position, the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has confirmed.

Chief Secretary to the Government George Mkondiwa confirmed in an interview that Tukula was suspended following his arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on October 17 2014 and later released on bail.

He said: “Yes, Mr Tukula has been interdicted following his arrest.”

The graft-busting body is accusing Tukula of obstructing justice by interfering with investigations surrounding Cashgate cases.

But Tukula, in a telephone interview yesterday, said he was not aware of the interdiction.

He said: “I have not received any communication.”

Tukula’s interdiction comes barely days to the deadline of the three months grace period ending by December 31 2014, that he extended to all public officers that are listed to declare their assets.

Initially, all public officers were expected to have declared their assets by end of September 2014. However, during that period, the directorate had no director.

Tukula was appointed on August 20 2014 to become the first-ever director in the Office of Directorate of Public Assets Declaration,  which was established by the Act of Parliament in January this year in an effort to fulfil the Constitution’s requirement that public officers should declare their assets. n