The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested an Indian national for allegedly offering a K1,200 bribe to an officer at Kafue Weighbridge to avoid paying a K19,000 fine for an overweight vehicle.
The suspect, 30-year-old Pannala Ravinder Reddy of Chelstone Green in Lusaka, has been charged with one count of Corrupt Transactions by Private Persons, contrary to Section 19 of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia.
The ACC says Reddy allegedly offered the money on November 7, 2026, while driving a vehicle bearing registration number AEB 6267 from Chirundu to Lusaka, as an inducement for an officer to allow his overweight vehicle to pass through the weighbridge without paying the appropriate fine.
The Commission says the alleged corrupt transaction could have resulted in a loss of K19,000 in government revenue, which was the applicable fine for the overweight vehicle.
The arrest followed a sting operation conducted by ACC officers in collaboration with the Road Development Agency (RDA) at Kafue Weighbridge, following complaints from members of the public.
Reddy has since been released on bond and is expected to appear in court soon.
Meanwhile, the ACC says its three-day operation at the weighbridge recorded increased compliance among motorists in paying appropriate fines for overweight trucks, resulting in increased government revenue.
The Commission has urged motorists to refrain from paying bribes at weighbridges, warning that the practice undermines road safety, allows overloaded vehicles to damage road infrastructure and perpetuates a culture of corruption.
By Mike Mwendachabe
