The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested and jointly charged two Food Reserve Agency (FRA) officers for allegedly soliciting and receiving a K2,500 bribe from a farmer in Chibombo District.
The officers are Hapenga Beene, 27, of Keembe, Chibombo District, and Inonge Mwaiba, 26, of Kawama, Kapiri Mposhi District. Both work as depot clerks at Keembe Farm Institute.
ACC Head of Corporate Communications, Joseph Mwenya, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday.
Mwenya said the two had been jointly charged with two counts of corrupt practices, contrary to Section 19(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia.
In the first count, the officers are alleged to have solicited money from a farmer between September 28 and October 13, 2026, as an inducement to facilitate the purchase of his maize by the FRA, a public body.
“The two allegedly solicited Two Thousand Five Hundred Kwacha from Berlin Malambo as an inducement or reward for facilitating the purchase of his maize by the Food Reserve Agency, a public body,” he said.
In the second count, the officers are alleged to have received part of the money on October 13, 2026, in Chibombo District.
“Ms Beene and Ms Mwaiba allegedly corruptly received Two Thousand Kwacha from Berlin Malambo as part-payment of the Two Thousand Five Hundred Kwacha they had allegedly solicited,” Mwenya said.
Mwenya said investigations had established that Malambo supplied 100 bags of maize, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, to the FRA, which was supposed to be packaged in FRA-branded grain bags.
“However, the two accused officers allegedly provided only 10 FRA-branded grain bags and refused to provide the remaining 90 grain bags unless Mr Malambo paid them a bribe,” he stated.
He said the officers allegedly delayed attending to the farmer in an attempt to frustrate him and compel him to pay for the remaining bags.
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“The provision of FRA-branded grain bags is a free service provided by the Government of the Republic of Zambia, and maize suppliers are not required to pay any facilitation fees to access this service,” he said.
Mwenya said the two officers had since been released on bond and were expected to appear in court on Monday, November 16, 2026.
He warned public officers against demanding or receiving bribes for services that should be provided free of charge.
“Government services must not be turned into opportunities for personal enrichment at the expense of citizens. Public officers have a duty to serve the public with integrity, fairness and accountability, and must not deliberately frustrate citizens in order to compel them to offer bribes,” Mwenya said.
He also urged members of the public to report suspected corruption through the ACC’s established reporting channels.
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